


Second Chances

by PurrtlePuff



Category: Youtuber RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - No YouTube AU, And sometimes good people do bad things, Artist Signe, Classism, College Student/Barista Ethan, Corporate Boss Felix, Developing Friendships, Fashion Designer Marzia, Gen, Half the cast is stinking rich and the other is just managing to get by, In which Jack is a preschool teacher just trying to do the right thing, Model Citizen Jack, Movie Star Mark, Police Officer Robin, Side Melix, Side Septiishu, Slice of Life, There's a really heavy topic talked about in this fic but I'll let you know when we get to that part
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2019-02-09 14:50:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 24,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12890232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurrtlePuff/pseuds/PurrtlePuff
Summary: It's Christmas, and Jack's life isn't perfect, but it's one he's thankful to have. He lives with a beautiful girl, has an amazing supportive roommate, and friends who he'd never trade for the world.Our story begins as Jack is cruising around his local supermarket minding his own business. Well, at least he is until he finds a lost wallet. Eager to return it, Jack opens it. What he finds is it belongs to a super-rich, crabby man named Felix Kjellberg. He's less than eager to mingle with anyone associated with Felix. However, it's the holidays, and what's a good holiday story without goodwill towards men and appreciating what you have in life?After all, one should cherish what they have because, in the blink of an eye, it can all disappear.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this is a monster of an AU I planned on being ten times shorter. All I wanted to do was write Jack as a preschool teacher, and it turned into this. It's over 20K words... whoops haha!
> 
> This story comes in 4 parts. It's prewritten, and I'll be releasing a chapter each week. The length varies, but you can assume they're all super long, so if you're reading this in one shot, I advise you to get comfortable.
> 
> There are some heavy topics in a future chapter that might make some readers uncomfortable, and I'll let you know when we get there. But for now, sit back and relax as I take you on a journey we call life.

“Are you kidding me? They went up ten cents!” Jack turned over the pack of pencils in his hand. He reread all the colors included. After reaching into his pocket and pulling out a load of lint, he groaned. He knew it was expensive, but he promised. Jack sighed and ran a hand over his face. She was counting on him. He couldn’t go back with nothing.

Jack started rummaging through the items in the cart. He picked up a pack of chocolate chip cookies. He really didn’t need them; he just liked the flavor. Still, his supply was running low, and he liked to have a cookie or two to reward himself for his hard work. 

But she was more important.

Jack walked between a few aisles and put the cookies back. He could go two weeks without cookies if it meant her happiness. And he knew she’d be happy. Jack ran a hand over the pack of pencils again and walked farther down the aisle. He recounted the total prices tallied on his notebook. Almost two dollars under budget. Jack let out a sigh and ran a hand through his green tuff of hair.

As he started walking again, his foot kicked a solid object. Jack looked down and watched a brown blur slip under the shelves. He grumbled under his breath and kneeled down. The brown rectangle somehow wedged itself on the other side of the shelves far out of his reach. Jack scooted down the aisle and rounded the other side. 

Ah much easier. Jack stretched and grabbed the leather object. He pulled it out and rose a brow. Oh man, someone lost their wallet. He looked around wondering if someone close was looking for it. Jack lifted the flap and peeked inside.

Holy shit.

There was a $50 bill up front, and as Jack passed through, two more followed it. He skimmed over the three credit cards in the pockets and pulled out an ID card. 

Felix Kjellberg huh?

Jack paced around the store. He didn’t see anyone in sight that fit Felix’s identity. Jack rubbed some warmth back in his arms. What should he do? He could run it to the police; Robin would definitely know what to do with it. 

Still, it felt wrong to leave it unattended. 

Jack looked over the address on the wallet. Wait, Broton wasn’t too far from here. He could easily swing by the address and leave it there. Jack put the wallet in his pocket. He hastened to the front of the store and offered the checker a smile. “Mornin Molly.”

“Well hey, Jack,” she greeted and returned the smile. “Right on time.”

“As always,” Jack responded. “Sunday mornings aren’t busy,”

Molly rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it.” She began to check out each item. Jack’s heart crescendoed as the total went up. He hoped his numbers were right. 

“Okay, that’ll be $38.87,” Molly said. Jack let out a sigh of relief and handed her two twenties. She quickly handed him his change and helped him load up the cart with his bags. Jack thanked her and walked out of the store.

After a quick look around to make sure no one was coming, Jack took off across the parking lot. At the right speed, he jumped onto the back. The cart jolted but stayed straight. He let out a little shout. The bitter wind stung his cheeks and made his eyes tear up. As soon as he was across the street, Jack jumped off the back and pushed his cart down the car line. 

After fishing out his keys, putting his groceries away, and handing off his cart to an older lady struggling to make it to the storefront, Jack jumped into his car. He took the keys from his pocket and let out a breath.

“Okay, you can do this,” Jack said as he rubbed his steering wheel. He put the keys in and turned the ignition. The engine sputtered and refused to turn over. Jack groaned and stopped for a moment. “Come on, Carlos, you can do it.” He tried again and pumped the gas pedal. The engine cranked again, but this time it sped up and started.

Jack pet the dashboard before turning around to back up. The car’s cloth roof bubbled in the back. He’d have to get some tacks when he could and pin them to the top. His roof already looked like a connect the dot coloring page. What was a few more?

After pulling out the wallet again and rereading the address, Jack made his way down the road. Music played on the radio, and Jack couldn’t help but sing along. No one sang White Christmas like Bing Crosby.

Broton was about a twenty-minute drive from the supermarket. It was a quiet little town with a lot of quaint shops, and Jack often stopped at Nerdy Nummies bakery for some fresh cookies. They were the best in the county. He wished he had enough money to stop on his way.

After reaching the town square, Jack reread the address on the wallet. He quickly punched it into his phone GPS and set down main street. There were several other roads twisting and turning between him and his destination, but Jack was pretty good at remembering how to undo wherever he’d been.

Jack stopped at a sign. His jaw dropped and he ran a hand through his hair. Jesus, this guy lived on Revel Crest Hill? The three hundred dollars make cents now. Hah, puns for days.

Jack turned down the street and swallowed. These houses cost more than he’d ever see in a lifetime. When he was young, his parents used to drive through here with his friends and they’d look at all the holiday decorations. Jack listened to the words of the GPS and became painfully aware of every sound his car was making. He stuck out like a sore thumb.

Freddy Street took him to Euro Lane. Jack looked at the numbers on the houses. 46… 52… oh, there was 58. Jack slowed his car to a halt.

Should he leave the engine running? He couldn’t afford to pay for gas until his next paycheck. A quick glance at the fuel tank and he made his decision. It was only for a few minutes, right? He ran from his car, up the sidewalk, and to the door. 

Taking a deep breath, Jack rang the doorbell. It let out three deep bell sounds. Two dogs barked on the other side of the door. Jack saw a dog peeking through the bottom window. Aww, he had a black pug! He rubbed his hands together and pulled his scarf closer to his face. Maybe no one was home yet? Maybe he passed Felix in the supermarket and didn’t know it.

The lock clicked open. A girl with fluffy light pink hair peered out the door and smiled at him.

“Can I help you?” She asked.

Jack noted the foreign accent. “Oh, hello, I’m looking for a Felix Kjellberg.” Jack pulled the wallet out of his pocket. “See, I found this at the supermarket, and I wanted to make sure he got it back.”

Her eyes studied the wallet before she took it from Jack’s hand. She opened it and thumbed through everything. Jack’s cheeks either tinged with embarrassment or from the cold. Marzia looked back at him and smiled. 

“Everything looks like it’s here.”

Jack sighed. “I was hoping. I didn’t know how long it was laying there before I found it.”

“You’re very kind. Come inside out of the cold for a moment.”

“Oh no,” Jack shook his head. “I don’t want to bother.”

“No bother at all,” Marzia said. She looked at his car and back at him. “Please, I insist. Felix would want to thank you in person.”

Jack took in a deep breath before running his options through his mind. He did have somewhere to be, but he had time. He shrugged and agreed. Jack walked out to his car, asked for its forgiveness, turned it off, and walked back to the house. 

Marzia had one pug in her hand, one Jack noticed was missing an eye, and the other barked at his feet.

“Edgar,” the woman said. She picked him up as well in her arms and smiled at Jack. He smiled back, and she stepped aside to let him in.

As soon as Jack stepped in, he felt underdressed. The spacious white walls lead up to a vaulted ceiling with a chandelier hanging high above him. A staircase stood at the other end of the room and split in two directions. Christmas garland ran up the wide wooden railing. A tree stood beside the stairs, reaching at least to the second floor, and had all sorts of gold trim, ornaments, and paper stars sitting on the branch. White lights blinked along to the soft piano music. Jack could barely make out the chorus for Jingle Bells.

“-any tea?”

Jack’s body jolted. “I’m sorry?”

Marzia giggled. “I said: Would you like any tea? It’s almost ready.”

Jack wanted to decline, but his cold nose insisted. Marzia nodded and lead Jack to the right. They entered what Jack guessed to be the living room. A fireplace crackled in the corner, surrounded by two couches and a coffee table. A television bigger than Jack had ever seen rested on the mantle. Marzia took him to the couches and asked him to sit. Jack complied and thought he sat on a cloud by accident.

“I’ll be right back. Please wait here.” Marzia set the dogs down on the ground. Edgar jumped up on the couch and sprung onto Jack’s lap, attacking his face with kisses. The other seemed content to rest on a pillow at the other end of the couch.

“Edgar-”

“No, he’s fine,” Jack said between licks and laughter. “I don’t mind, really.”

The woman smiled and nodded. She hurried out of the room and disappeared to the right. 

Jack whistled and slipped his scarf off. He folded it beside him and unzipped his jacket. After a quick look around, he discovered the coat rack by the front door. He’d been so busy drooling over the decor he forgot to take off his winter wardrobe. 

Jack walked over and set the coat on the wooden pole, trying to avoid stepping on Edgar the whole time, who was very content weaving in between his legs while he walked. He slowly made his way back. Edgar ran ahead of him and sat on the couch, little tail wagging as he waited for Jack to sit. Jack smiled and sat next to him. Edgar settled on his lap, and Jack stroked his fingers down Edgar’s back.

Light footsteps caught Jack’s attention. The woman stepped down the final stair and walked toward him.

“He’s wrapping up a business meeting, but he’ll be down soon, Mr…”

“Jack.”

“Nice to meet you, Jack. I’m Marzia.”

Jack watched Marzia sit on the couch across from him. She cleared her throat and straightened out her dress.

“So, Jack, where exactly did you find his wallet?”

“At the supermarket in my hometown. Do you know where Barnes n’ Lords is?”

“Not really. I don’t do the grocery shopping,” Marzia tapped her finger on her kneecap. “Come to think of it, neither does Felix. I wonder how his wallet got there.”

Jack was about to answer when a woman walked up to them, tray in hand. A white teapot with flowers on it sat beside three matching teacups, milk, honey, frosted and plain scones, and thick buttercream. Jack’s stomach growled looking at it.

Marzia giggled and thanked the girl who brought it down. “I hope you don’t mind me waiting for Felix. This is supposed to be our time together.”

Jack nearly jumped up from the couch. “I don’t want to-”

“Sit,” she said with a stern but soft voice. “You’re no trouble at all. You probably saved him a lot of headaches. There’s a lot of accounts connected to those cards.”

Jack laughed nervously. He readjusted himself on the couch. Edgar rolled around on his lap again, and Jack went back to petting the pug’s head.

“So, Jack, what made you stop here in person?” Marzia asked. She raised an eyebrow. “You know the police could’ve taken care of it.”

“I know,” Jack replied, “but it didn’t feel right just leaving it with someone else. I know not many people are honest, and that was a heck of a lot of money in there. Someone could’ve gotten a really nice haircut.”

Marzia laughed. “Well regardless, I really appreciate it.”

Heavy hurried footsteps echoed down the stairs.

“-can do. Can we please just- no listen to me- please move it to next Wednesday? I got a big party coming up soon… yes, the party… no, I’m not going to get wasted- THAT WAS ONE TIME. Okay gotta go, Cry. It’s tea time love you bye.”

Marzia shook her head. Jack swallowed nervously.

“Sorry, Marzia,” the voice continued in a much softer tone. “Business ran a little late, but I’m here-”

A man with brown and white hair stepped into the living room. His eyes widened, and he put a hand on the doorframe. His stare suffocated Jack. Edgar jumped off of Jack’s lap and pawed at his owner’s leg, though the latter didn’t pay any attention to the little dog barking at his feet. His gaze went from Jack to Marzia.

“Felix, this is Jack. He’s the one who returned your wallet.”

Jack offered a weak wave and hello.

Felix’s lips pulled into a straight line. “Marzia, can I see you in the foyer real quick?”

Marzia glanced over at Jack. Jack swallowed hard and stood up.

“Thank you, Marzia, but I really think I should get go-”

“Sit.” 

Jack sat back down as Marzia used that soft but stern voice again. She stood up from the couch, straightened out her dress, and walked past Felix and into the foyer. Felix stared at Jack a moment longer before turning to follow Marzia.

Jack looked down at the fire and took a deep breath. His conscience started to eat at him, especially since he could hear their hushed argument from the other room.

“You can’t just invite strangers into our home, Marzia.”

“He did you a favor, Felix. The least you can do is show the man some gratitude.”

“Yeah, and how do you know he’s not going to stab us in the back and steal all our money.”

“Felix!”

“You never know.”

“Does he look dangerous to you?”

“Well with that green hair-”

“You’re one to talk about people and hair assumptions.”

“That was different.” A pause. “Okay kinda different, but still!”

“He’s staying for tea and you’ll thank him for returning your wallet.”

“But-”

“No buts, or no massages for a week.”

“... oh come on!”

“That’s the deal, Felix. Take it or leave it.”

Marzia stepped into the room with a rather smug smile, and Jack tried to look like he wasn’t hanging off the couch eavesdropping. Felix followed soon after with the most forced smile Jack had ever seen. He tried to return the gesture.

Marzia sat down on the couch where she sat before, and Felix plopped down next to her, practically against her hip. Edgar jumped off the couch and ran over to pester his owner once more. Felix picked the pug up and began to scratch his back.

“So, you’re the one who returned my wallet, huh?” Felix spoke. Jack nodded. “Must’ve taken a lot of guts to return it with everything in it.”

Marzia elbowed Felix in the side. She hissed his name as he let out a bunch of jumbled words, ones Jack assumed were curses. 

“Not really,” Jack replied and shifted in his seat. “Just doing what people should do.”

“Yeah.” Felix took one of the teacups and put a spoonful of honey in it. Marzia grabbed one as well, and she looked at Jack with a quirked eyebrow. Jack’s joints creaked as he reached down for his cup and put in a bit of milk. The warm tea eased the stiff muscles in his lips.

“Where did you say you found it again?” Marzia asked.

Jack swallowed. “Barnes n’ Lords.”

Felix hummed. “Never heard of the place.”

Jack’s brow wrinkled. “That’s odd. How else would it get there?”

“Dishonest people,” Marzia said and side glanced at Felix. “Good thing there’s still good people around.”

Jack felt the tips of his ears burn. He smiled before taking a sip of his tea.

“So thanks.”

Jack blinked. “Huh?”

“For returning my wallet,” Felix continued. He put his teacup in the saucer. “I owe you one.”

Jack let out a light laugh. “No problem. I’d do it again if I had to.”

Marzia smiled over her cup. “You’re a very kind person, Jack.”

Jack looked down out of embarrassment and then at his phone. CRAP! He jumped up from the couch and grabbed his scarf.

“Sorry to eat and run, but I’m really late for a meeting right now. Nice meeting you both,” Jack said. He put his teacup down on the table. Marzia and Felix’s dumbfounded expressions followed him to the doorway.

“Nice to meet you too?” Felix called out. Jack grabbed his coat from the rack and pulled it on. He reached for his car keys from his pocket and swung open the door. Careful not to slam the solid oak, he turned and practically leaped off the porch. His heart raced in his chest. If he hurried, he’d still have two hours.

Jack jumped in the passenger’s seat and put his keys in the ignition. “Come on baby.”

He turned the key.

Prrrrrgth. 

Jack groaned and pumped the gas pedal. “Come on, Carlos. You can do it!” 

Prrrrrrrrrrtgh.

Jack rested his head on the steering wheel. Okay, Jack, calm down. Think. Breathe in, breathe out. One more try. One more try.

The engine sputtered and died.

“Oh come on,” Jack groaned and put his head on the headrest. This couldn’t have happened at a more inopportune time. He stared at the ceiling and swallowed thickly. Stupid car. Stupid Carlos. Why did he have to pick now to stall?

A light tap woke him from his thoughts. He looked over to the passenger’s side. Marzia stood in a faux white fur jacket. She folded her arms in under her chest to keep warm. 

Jack half smiled before stepping out of his car. He sheepishly looked at the ground.

“Car troubles?” Marzia asked.

“Kinda,” Jack grumbled under his breath. He looked up and caught Felix standing in the doorway of the house.

“If you need to be somewhere quick, we can have you dropped off.”

“No, I couldn’t-”

“It’s the least we could do. And besides, one of our friends runs an auto shop. We could have him take a look at your car.”

Jack looked back at the ground. “I know what’s wrong with it, but…” His voice trailed off.

Marzia waited a moment before continuing, “So would you like us to drop you off or…?”

Jack looked up and pulled his lips into a tight line. “Okay, thanks so much. You really have no idea how much this means to me.”

Marzia smiled and lead Jack back towards the house. Felix stepped aside to let both of them back in and sighed. Jack caught his eye and looked away. 

Marzia addressed the young woman who served them tea. “Tell Michael we need the car out front. Oh, and call up Klein’s Auto and let them know we’re dropping off an old Monte Carlo.”

Jack spoke up, “I can’t-”

“It’s on us,” she said and turned to Jack with a knowing smile. Jack swallowed.

“No, that’s too much.”

“I insist,” Marzia said and looked over Jack’s shoulder. 

Jack wrung his hands together. “Well, thank you. I really appreciate it.”

Felix cleared his throat. “Tell Michael not to worry about it.” Marzia and Jack both sent Felix a puzzled look. “I need an excuse to get out of the house.”

“Sure,” Marzia said and shook her head. She walked into the living room, leaving the two men in a silence that could choke a whale. 

“Well come on,” Felix spoke and motioned for Jack to come with him. Jack nodded and followed Felix out to the two car garage. Felix pulled a garage opener from his pocket. He pressed a button and watched one of the doors slide up. 

Jack’s jaw dropped. Inside was a blue Lamborghini Aventador, one Jack could only dream of owning. Felix stepped into the garage and opened the driver’s side.

“You coming?” Felix asked.

Jack shook away his awe and opened the passenger’s door. He slid into the leather interior and buckled his seatbelt. 

“Where to?” Felix asked. 

Jack looked at the time once more. “Septown Hospital, please.”

Felix raised a brow. Jack could see a question lingering on his lips, but the radio filled the silence instead. Jack sat back in the car and watched Felix pull out of the driveway. His car sat at the edge of their path. He mentally apologized to Carlos and hoped he wouldn’t take it personally.

Felix pulled out onto the road and started their journey.

The dusk turned on Christmas lights in various yards. Jack felt five again. His smile widened with each house they passed. Some had the same lights up from his childhood, and others were decorated with the latest technology. Some were obviously trying to outdo their neighbor. 

“So the hospital huh?” Felix asked. “You visiting family?”

“Sort of,” Jack answered.

Felix hummed. Jack settled into the silence once again. 

“How long do you plan on staying?”

Jack took in a deep breath. “Probably until it closes. You don’t have to wait around for me or anything.”

“Wasn’t planning on it.”

“Oh.” Jack pulled out his phone and checked the time once again.

“I can give you a few bucks for a taxi though.”

“No, that’s fine.”

“Marzia will kill me if she finds out you paid to get yourself home.”

“You want a massage that badly?”

Jack watched Felix’s lips pull into a tight line. Jack blanched. That was from Felix and Marzia’s private conversation. Why did he say that? God, he was so stupid.

Felix side glanced at him before speaking. “Listen, if you had one, you’d understand.”

Jack let out a nervous laugh. The rest of the ride was fairly quiet. Jack settled on tapping his legs with the beat of the music. He didn’t know what else to say, and Felix wasn’t offering any help. 

Finally, they arrived at a familiar sight. Felix drove into the garage and parked at one of the lower levels. 

“Can you make it from here?”

Jack unbuckled his seatbelt and sent a stern smile. “I think I can manage.”

“Good.” Felix fished out a fifty and handed it to Jack. Jack sputtered and declined, but Felix insisted. Jack offered a thank you and stepped out of the car. "Wait, I'm going to need your number for when your car is done. You know, so I can contact you and return it."

"Oh, yeah, that's right."

Felix opened the glove compartment and pulled out a little notebook and pen. He handed it to Jack. Jack scribbled down some numbers and hoped they were legible. He handed the book back to Felix. 

"You have really bad handwriting. You sure you don't work at the hospital?"

"Hey, for all you know, I could be a doctor here."

"With that car, I doubt it."

"Hey, don't hate on Carlos!"

Felix laughed, and Jack wondered if he imagined it for a moment. It was warm almost, completely opposite of the man he just drove twenty minutes with. Jack put his hand on the car door, enjoying the sound. Felix let his laughter subside and shook his head.

"Well, see you later." Felix put the car in reverse.

"Felix," Jack put on a genuine smile, "thanks again, for everything."

Felix cleared his throat. “I hope whoever you're visiting in there gets better soon.”

Jack paused. He sighed and pulled on a smile. “Me too.” He closed the car door, and the thud echoed through the empty garage. Felix backed out of his spot and drove away. Jack waved before turning to the garage’s elevator and hoped he made it in time.

\--

After going back and forth with the taxi driver about keeping the fifty for driving him, Jack walked into his apartment complex. He checked his mailbox, filled with junk and two bills, and climbed the stairs. He yawned and checked his phone. If he hurried, he could answer a few emails before passing out at his desk again. 

Jack rounded the corner and heard a low groan. His neighbor stood at his door; his head pressed against the wood.

“Locked out again, Ethan?” Jack asked.

Ethan turned to look at him, his eyes glassy. “I had it this morning. I must’ve lost it somewhere.”

Jack sighed and pulled his apartment key out of his pocket. “Robin’s pulling a double, so his bedroom is open.”

“Are you sure?”

“If it stops Mr. Keem from throwing a fit and waking the whole complex.”

Ethan pulled his bag closer to him and nodded. Jack opened his door and flipped a light switch. He set his shoes beside the door and Ethan did the same. He nearly slid on the hardwood in his socks. 

“So, is Tyler out again?”

“Yeah,” Ethan dry laughed. “That new client of his has him working really odd hours. Last week, I didn’t see him for three days.”

“Yikes,” Jack put his coat in the closet and hung his scarf on a hanger next to it.

“But he practically pays for Tyler and me to live here, so I can’t complain much.” Ethan started digging through his bag and pulled out his video camera and laptop. “Hope you don’t mind if I do some work.”

“Nah,” Jack replied. “Just keep quiet.”

“That’s rich coming from you.”

“Hey, at least I soundproofed my walls!” Jack lowered his voice. “Wiishu is probably sleeping.”

“Oh yeah.” Ethan grinned sheepishly. “I forgot she lives here too now.”

Ethan said a quick goodnight before disappearing into Robin’s room. Jack yawned and walked into his room. If he focused, he could barely make out Wiishu’s sleeping form under the blankets. He used his phone as a light to find his computer desk. He started working on replying to mail and shifted to checking social media. 

Jack vaguely remembered seeing 1 am before falling asleep at his keyboard.

\--

An alarm buzzed across the room. Jack stirred, noting how squished his face felt against the desk. He sat up. A blanket slid down from his shoulder blades and pooled behind him. Jack ran his fingers over the fuzzy orange blanket, and he smiled to himself. Through the door, he could smell fresh bacon. 

Jack stood up and stretched. He swore every one of his joints cracked. Like an old lady, he pulled the blanket back around his shoulders and stepped out of his room. 

Light Christmas music played throughout the kitchen. Jack walked out and smiled. Wiishu was humming as she stirred eggs in a frying pan. 

“Good morning,” he greeted and sat at the island.

Wiishu turned and smiled. “Morning, Jack. What time did you get in last night?”

“Around 11 or so.” He watched Wiishu’s face twist in discontempt. “What? I came straight home.”

“You’re going to burn yourself out. Your job is stressful enough around this time of year.”

“Eh, there’s nothing they can dish out I can’t handle anymore.” 

Wiishu hummed. “I know.”

A comforting quiet settled between them. Jack got up from the island and poured himself a cup of coffee. He brought the warm liquid to his lips and sighed.

“Ethan slept in Robin’s room.”

“Again?” Wiishu shook her head. “We need to velcro that boy’s key to his head.”

Jack chuckled. “He’ll learn. He’s young yet.”

“Wasn’t Tyler home to let him in?”

“He was working.”

“Doesn’t this guy he's training know he needs his rest?”

“Probably.” Jack rolled his eyes. “But you know the rich.”

Wiishu hummed in agreement. There was a soft click, and Ethan walked into the room rubbing an eye.

“Do I smell bacon?” he asked.

“You do,” Wiishu said and went back to her work. She slid the eggs on a plate. 

“Good morning, Ethan,” Jack greeted. Ethan took a seat at the island and yawned. His eyes were red, and his hair was scattered in all different directions. Jack frowned. “Did you get any sleep?”

“I got a few hours,” Ethan answered.

Jack rose a brow. “Like five?”

“More like two,” Ethan mumbled.

“Ethan-”

“You’re one to talk,” Wiishu grumbled. Jack stuck his tongue out at her, which she returned. She set the plate of eggs and bacon down at the table.

“I know,” Ethan answered and held back a yawn. “But I need to do my schoolwork. And with my job taking up most of my afternoons-”

“Ethan, I’m razzing on you,” Jack answered and dry laughed. “I just hope you’re getting enough sleep.”

“I am,” he answered. “I got 4 hours on Wednesday.”

Jack sighed and changed his tone. “You want anything to drink? We’ve got banana milk.”

Ethan curled up his nose and stuck out his tongue. Jack laughed and walked to the fridge. 

“Orange juice is fine,” Ethan answered at last. He grabbed the jug from the table top and poured himself a glass.

“Take some breakfast too,” Wiishu said over her shoulder as she cracked another egg.

Ethan opened his mouth to answer and his stomach growled. He cradled his stomach. His cheeks tinged red, and he chuckled.

“Just take some breakfast, ya bean,” Jack spoke.

Ethan nodded before spooning some eggs on his plate and grabbing two slices of bacon. 

“Oh, Jack, did you get the creamer?” Wiishu asked.

Jack opened his mouth to answer and blanched. No, his stuff. He left it in Carlos!

He let out a loud curse. “Carlos broke down, and I forgot everything in the trunk.”

“Wait, what?” Wiishu scraped the egg mixture into the pan. “Where’s the car?”

Jack rubbed his neck. “It’s a long story.”

“I’ve got time.”

“Well,” Jack sighed. “I was doing normal stuff, and I happened to find this wallet. So I picked it up and found the owner. And when I went to their house to return it, Carlos wouldn’t turn over.”

“I told you to get that car fixed months ago.”

“With what money?” Jack cleared his throat. “Well, it’s going to get fixed now so.”

Wiishu sighed. “I’m sure we’ll think up something.”

“I can help out,” Ethan piped up.

“Ethan, no-”

“You guys are so nice to me. I feel bad always crashing in your apartment and taking your food. And you give me rides to school when I’m late sometimes, so… please?”

Jack shook his head. “As nice as that is, Ethan, it’s already being paid for.”

“By who?” 

“The guy I returned the wallet to.”

“That’s so nice of them,” Wiishu smiled. “There are still some grateful people in this world.”

“Yeah.” Jack decided to leave out the part where Felix nearly burned a hole into his forehead with that stare. He took a sip of his coffee and leaned against the counter.

The front door unlocked, and a very tired m stepped in. He closed the door behind him and took off his shoes. 

“Welcome home, Robin,” Jack called out.

“Morning,” Robin said in a groggy voice. He turned and looked at Ethan on the island chair. “College student.”

“Police officer,” Ethan returned.

Robin quirked an eyebrow. “I need to teach you how to pick the apartment locks.”

“Nothing like learning breaking and entering from a law enforcer,” Wiishu mused.

Robin hummed and joined Ethan at the island. 

“Anything exciting happen?” Jack asked. “Did Marzipan get stuck in a tree again?”

Robin laughed. “No, but something did happen. Around 3 am, we got a call from Barnes n’ Lords. Someone broke in.”

“That’s horrible! Are Wade and Molly okay?” Wiishu asked.

“Yeah, they’re fine. Funny thing is, nothing was stolen. The cash registers were still intact and everything. The security cameras caught whoever they were, but they were in dark masks. All they did was look through the aisles on the floor before leaving when we showed up.”

Jack’s blood ran cold. They couldn’t have… could they?

“So, what do you think they were looking for?” Ethan asked.

“Could be anything, really. It’s just strange that nothing was stolen.” He looked over at Jack. “You okay over there?”

“Yeah, I just,” he looked over at Wiishu. “I’m just overthinking, that’s all.”

“Well, if you have any leads, save it for later. I’m heading to bed.” He turned in his seat.

“No breakfast?” Wiishu asked.

Robin shook his head. “Nah. I grabbed a breakfast sandwich on my way back to the precinct after the investigation. Thanks anyway though.”

Wiishu sighed as Robin disappeared into his room. Ethan swallowed a mouthful of eggs before standing up. 

“I’m going to grab my stuff before he falls asleep so I don’t wake him.” Ethan disappeared around the corner and left Jack and Wiishu in silence.

Wiishu put the finished eggs on a plate and placed the pan in the sink. She ran some water in it and dried her hands. 

“So what are you thinking about?” She asked and made Jack jump.

“Nothing. I just,” Jack scratched his neck. “It’s a bit coincidental is all.” He paused. “The person I returned the wallet to said they’d never been to Barnes n’ Lords. I’m thinking whoever broke in was looking for the stolen wallet.”

Wiishu hummed. “You should probably share that with Robin. It might lead to something.”

“I should’ve turned it in instead of returning it,” Jack mumbled.

“Even if you turned it in, it would’ve still happened,” Wiishu replied. “Just go to work knowing the wallet is in the right hands, okay?”

“Yeah,” Jack mumbled. Wiishu left a quick kiss on his cheek and sat down. 

“Now, eat your breakfast before it gets cold.”

\--

Jack pulled his scarf closer as he walked towards the school. The preschool he worked at was only a few blocks away from the bus stop, so thankfully he didn’t need to walk far. Still, it was bitterly cold out this morning.

He stepped in the doors. The heat burned his cheeks and nose, and he shuddered. He could hear kids already shouting and laughing, and it warmed his heart even further.

“Good morning,” one of the teachers greeted him. He sent back a casual greeting and grabbed some papers from his mailbox. After clocking in, he walked down the hall and towards his room.

As he rounded the corner, he heard kids screaming his name. Two kids jumped onto his legs, and another ran around to hug him from behind. Jack laughed and stroked as many kids on the head as he could while telling them good morning.

“Guys, I’m gonna fall over and squish you. One at a time,” he said and laughed. A few kids went back to their playtime, forgetting Jack even arrived, and a few stayed to talk to him. Jack shrugged off his coat while listening to each story.

“My brother slept over.”

“I saw daddy last night!”

“My dog threw up in my cereal.”

Jack nodded and replied to each of them individually. He got down on the floor and listened to every unique story. Some went off on different tangents while others said something and left. He cherished each one. 

“When’s Sammy coming back?”

Jack felt a lump rise in his throat. He took in a deep breath. The girl looked at him expectantly, her blue eyes wide and face inches from Jack’s nose.

“I don’t know,” he answered.

“I miss her.”

“Me too.” Jack stood up and stretched. The kids more or less were going about their business now. 

His eyes settled on a young boy with short brown in the corner by himself. He was curled up in a beanbag, his legs drawn up to his chest. Jack took in a deep breath and walked over. He sat in the chair next to him and sighed.

The boy didn’t look up or acknowledge his presence, but Jack didn’t expect him to. He kept staring at the other kids playing.

“Good morning, Tim,” Jack said in a quiet voice. He looked over and smiled. “You know, Cinna is pretty nice. You should ask him to play.”

The boy said nothing. He continued to stare forward, his eyes unmoving.

Jack ran a hand through his hair. “Listen, I know you miss your sister, but the other kids are nice too. They’ll play with you.”

“No.” 

Jack sighed. “Okay, how about I read a book to you then?” The boy said nothing. Jack reached over in the bookshelf and pulled out a book. “It’s your favorite... White Rabbit, Brown Rabbit.” Jack opened the page and took in a deep breath. He glanced over to see if the boy was paying attention, but he already knew the answer. 

Jack started reading the words aloud. Some other kids came over and pooled at his feet, eager to hear Jack tell the story. Some tried to squeeze under his arms and cuddle in his lap, while others pulled over nearby chairs.

Jack knew this book by heart. It was a personal favorite of the kids. 

“So white rabbit said,” Jack changed his voice to a higher pitch, “why are we different colors?”

Jack lowered his voice, “I don’t know, said brown rabbit. All rabbits are different colors. Some are white, some are brown-”

“Some are green,” chirped a boy. The group laughed.

“Some are purple with pink stripes.”

“I want an orange rabbit!”

“My cat ate a rabbit once.”

“Ewww that’s gross!”

“Shhh! I can’t hear!”

Jack laughed and used White rabbit’s voice again. “But what matters is we’re best friends, right?”

Jack lowered his voice again. “Right.” He turned to reveal an empty page. Jack used his normal voice and said, “The end.”

“Again, again!”

“No, read this story!”

“No, read my story!”

A bunch of books pressed into Jack’s face. Jack put his hand up and told them one at a time. He picked out one of the books a girl held out to him and promised the other children he’d get to their story as soon as possible. 

Jack glanced over at Tim and sighed. He still stared forward, not moving. Jack drew in a deep breath and exhaled through his lips. “Mrs. Potato’s Big Adventure…”

Jack read story after story until his throat was scratchy. Kids came and went as they listened to Jack’s words. He loved reading to them. The excitement and wonder in their eyes as they looked at the pages and recited the words they knew… there was no feeling like it. After reading five books in a row, he apologized and said he had to stop for a bit. Some kids whined, but most understood and left.

Jack looked over at Tim once again. Still, he sat in the same position, not acknowledging his surroundings at all. Jack closed the book he was reading with a heavy thwack.

“I know. Why don’t we all make a Christmas card for Sammy?”

A few kids started eagerly cheering and volunteering. Jack pulled out a long piece of scrap paper. He put it on one of the tables and started to write.

“I’m going to put down “Merry Christmas” and I want you all to draw something nice for her. Try your best to write your name. Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be the best you can do.”

Jack watched child after child come up to draw and sign his paper. Some drew hearts, some just scribbled, and others took up half the page with their name. Every time a new child would come over, Jack would glance up to see if it was Tim. Still, the tot sat in his chair, but at least this time he was watching Jack.

Jack smiled back at him and continued with his work. He traced the hand of a girl before having six other students ask if he’d trace their hands. Jack obliged, asking which color they wanted.

A gentle hand came down on the paper. Jack looked up and saw Tim staring down at his hand. He didn’t say a word, but Jack understood. He used Tim’s favorite color, knowing it was green from past experience.

“There you go,” he said as he smiled and looked up. TIm looked at the lumpy picture of his hand on the paper. He pointed at the marker in Jack’s hand. Jack handed it over. Tim wrote his name in wobbly capitals and put a heart next to it. After he stood back and stared at his work, he walked back over to his bean bag and sat down. Jack watched him go and couldn’t help but involuntarily smile.

Well, it was progress at least.

Jack finished up the card and folded it in half. He put it on his desk and mentioned he’d get it to Sammy as soon as he could.

The day passed by pretty uneventfully. Still, Jack couldn’t help but pause and think of the wallet. Who were the people that stole it? Were Felix and Marzia in any danger? What if something happened to them before the police had any leads? 

A hand pulling on his pant leg stirred him from his thoughts. Bright eyes looked at him expectantly, holding a doll and a dress. Jack helped out and sent the child on their way. As he sat down to organize some papers at his desk, another came and asked to sit on his lap. Jack helped them up and worked around them. They asked questions about all the writing. Jack answered it to the best of his ability. So many questions.

“Jack?” A voice called from the door. He looked up and saw his boss standing in the doorway, her lips drawn in a tight line.

“What’s up?” He asked. She motioned for him to come out into the hallway. Jack asked the student to hop off for a moment. They obliged and ran off to play. Jack pushed in the chair of his desk and stepped out into the hallway.

His boss rubbed the back of her neck, her other arm folded in on her side. Jack swallowed. Usually, when she did this, she was about to give some bad news.

“Is it about Sammy?” He asked.

“Thankfully no,” she replied. She sighed and looked down at the floor. Jack put his hands in his pocket not knowing what else to do with himself. She continued, “I’m afraid we’re going to go under soon.”

“What?” Jack nearly fell over.

She nodded. “I’m so sorry. I… our rent came in, and we barely have enough to pay half of it. I’m afraid at the end of the month, we’re going to have to close our doors.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I wish I wasn’t.”

Jack ran a hand through his hair. “But the kids-”

“I know.” She huffed through her nose. “I wish I could do something to save it.”

“We could hold a bake sale or something.”

“But everyone’s already spending everything they can on their own holidays. Who’s going to support a school around this time of the year? We barely get enough funding now as it is.”

“Yeah, I know… but it’s Christmas,” Jack’s voice lowered. “We could still try.”

She sighed and patted him on the shoulder. “You’re a good worker, Jack, and you have a natural, infectious energy. I’m sure you’d find work somewhere else in no time. Good luck.”

Jack watched her walk away, tears in his eyes. No, this couldn’t be happening. This is where he belonged. He couldn’t imagine doing anything else besides this. And what about his students? He shuddered, thinking about them going off to other centers. Ones he knew weren’t as kind. Who would take the time to talk to Tim and understand him? Would they make sure Cinna got his insulin after eating? What about Sammy...

What would happen to his kids?

Jack walked back into his classroom. He tried his best to carry on without letting his mind get in the way, but he couldn’t help it. A few kids asked him why he was crying. He told them it was allergies. Some believed him and ran off, and others cuddled up to him.

The rest of the day passed by in a blur. He vaguely remembered eating his lunch, but that was it. He could barely focus on the walk home. After apologizing for bumping into a stranger, he entered his apartment and climbed the stairs to his room.

Jack stared at his key in his hand. How was he going to tell Wiishu? He sighed and slid the key into the lock. 

Christmas music once again greeted him. Wiishu stood in the corner of the living room. She wrapped a piece of garland around the tree and stood back to marvel at her work.

Jack watched the colored lights twinkle. The white lights illuminated the different colored balls, mostly painted by Robin, and lit up the train tracks underneath. A red ribbon sat on top, tying it up like a present.

“Looks great,” Jack called from the doorway.

Wiishu turned around and smiled. “Oh, just in time. I was hoping to surprise you when you got home.” Her smile faded. “What’s wrong?”

Jack sighed. He walked into the living room with his eyes downcast. Wiishu met him halfway and put a hand on his cheek. Jack still refused to look up at her.

“What happened?” She asked again in a soft tone.

Jack swallowed and told her the story. Wiishu wrapped him up in a hug, and Jack nearly cried again in her arms. She lead him over to the couch and handed him the box of tissues. Jack lamented his worries to her, and she listened to each with attentive ears. 

“We’ll think of something,” she said at last. 

“We’re barely making it by now as it is,” Jack mumbled.

“Robin’s here, and I’m selling more artwork as the months go by.” She snapped her fingers. “Maybe I could donate a few pieces of art. We could sell them at an auction or something and save the school.”

Jack smiled and sighed. “I don’t even know how much money we’d have to raise. And even after that, what’s going to happen next month?”

Wiishu looked down at the floor. She curled up against his arm and rested her head against his shoulder. Jack leaned in and put his head on hers. For a while, they sat in silence, enjoying the company of the other’s warmth.

“This sucks,” Wiishu mumbled.

“Yeah,” Jack dry laughed. “Merry freaking Christmas.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the week he had, Jack needs to wind down and confide in others. After all, sharing the burden makes your struggles easier... right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this one is incredibly short. I tried to add it in with the first and next chapter, but it just felt too long and disjointed. This is a segway chapter that sets up a bit more plot, and you learn a little more about the guy bugging Tyler and Marzia. I hope you enjoy~

Rhythmic banging woke Jack from his sleep. Wait, no, maybe that was his headache. He sat up on his elbows in bed and looked over to his left. Wiishu rolled over in her sleep but otherwise remained undisturbed. Jack looked at the clock. Who in their right mind was knocking on his door at four in the morning?

Jack rolled over and put a pillow on his head, but shouting accompanied more desperate knocks. Jack groaned. He slid his legs out of bed and ran a hand through his hair. He looked like hell in the mirror, but that’s what you get for waking him up at an ungodly hour.

Jack opened the door to his room. Whoever it was, they were calling out for Tyler. Did Ethan really lock himself out again? No, that was impossible. Ethan should be asleep by now, or at least he better be asleep, and besides, it was too early for him to be out and about right now. 

“I’m comin,” Jack grumbled, noticing his accent was slightly thicker. He slid the chain from the slide lock and turned the lock on the door.

He had to duck when a fist nearly knocked into his head.

“Whoa! Sorry about that!” The knockee said. 

Jack squinted. The man before him had a towel draped over his shoulders and sweat running down his forehead.

“Can I help you?” Jack grumbled.

“I’m uh, looking for Tyler. Are you Ethan? No wait, he had blue hair I think.”

“Yeaaaah, not for a while though.” Jack tried to retain his patience. “He’s in the room next door.”

“Wait, Ethan or Tyler?”

“Tyler.”

The man paused and looked at the number on the door. “Oh. My bad. I could’ve sworn he was in 117.”

Jack pulled on a mock smile. “No. That’s me. That’s very much me.”

“Sorry again,” he said. 

Jack nodded and slowly closed his door, leaving the insane man outside of his room where he belonged. He turned and caught Robin peeking out of his room; an eyebrow popped up in question.

“I don’t even know,” Jack mumbled.

“I don’t think I want to,” Robin added. He walked out of his room and closed his door. With a yawn and a stretch, he pulled out a bag of bread and began to prepare some toast. “You think that was the new client Ethan keeps talking about?”

“Probably.” Jack heard the man knocking on Tyler and Ethan’s door, calling out Tyler’s name. He was going to wake the whole apartment complex at this rate.

“Noisy, isn’t he?” Robin hummed as he poured some coffee.

“Well, if Mr. Keem comes up after him-”

He heard Tyler shout “what” from outside. He froze and held his breath. 

“Good morning! You ready to go rock climbing-”

“Shh keep it down. Ethan’s asleep, and probably the whole apartment, so can you just be quiet?”

“Sorry, jeez.”

A sigh. “You know, when I said we’ll meet up again at four, I didn’t mean in the morning. Do you even sleep?”

“Well yeah, but-”

“Good night, Mark.”

A door closed. The ticking of the kitchen clock echoed throughout the room.

Robin’s audible sip cleared some of the tension. Jack snorted through his nose and shook his head. If he listened carefully, he could hear this Mark guy muttering to himself as he walked down the hallway.

The toast popped up.

“Well that was entertaining,” Robin spoke and set two slices off to the side to cool. He reloaded the toaster.

“Freaking rich people,” Jack mumbled. “Hey wait a minute. What are you doing up? Didn’t you just get in at midnight?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Robin mumbled. “Kept thinking about Wade and Molly.”

Jack nodded and sighed. He poured himself a cup of coffee and leaned against the counter next to Robin.

Robin continued, “You really think those people were looking for that Felix guy’s wallet?”

“I don’t know why else they’d be there, especially if they didn’t take anything.”

“Well, they didn’t see anything out of the ordinary yesterday during work. Perhaps the perps got scared off.”

“Let’s hope.”

A comfortable quiet set between them until the toast popped up. Jack tested the toast Robin set aside and pulled out some spreadable butter. 

“Need that cold crunch,” Robin mused and took a sip of his coffee.

Jack stuck his tongue out and chose to take a bite of his toast instead of retaliating. He sat down at the island and scrolled through his phone. Ah, same old boring news. Such a shame there was so much malice in the world.

“We should have a get-together.”

Jack looked up. “What? When?”

“Tomorrow. We could invite Wade and Molly over. You know, just to forget about the recent stress.” Robin shrugged his shoulders. “It’s just a thought.”

“No, I like the idea,” Jack answered. “It just threw me. You’re very much…”

“An introvert.”

“Yeah.” Jack scratched the side of his neck. “Still, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”

Robin smiled. “Good. I have off that night, and you know how rare it is for me to have a Saturday off.”

Jack rose a brow and smirked. “Maybe if we invite Ethan over, you could finally teach him how to pick a lock.”

“Yeah,” Robin chuckled. “I wonder if Tyler will come.”

“I doubt it.” Jack’s smile disappeared. “That Mark guy probably will have him working. I mean, he hasn’t given the guy a day off in three weeks. The world doesn’t revolve around him.”

“Ouch, you want some cream to go with all that bitter?”

“I’m sorry. I’m just in a mood.”Jack sighed. Robin scooted over and took another sip of his coffee. Jack smiled and shook his head. He continued, “I found out yesterday someone is already buying our building.”

Robin quirked an eyebrow. “Wow, guess your boss will get that rent money after all.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “I hate sellouts.”

“Who doesn’t?”

“It makes me even angrier. They’re throwing out all those kids for money.”

“Could be worse.” Robin hummed. “They could’ve just closed their doors instead of giving them two week’s notice.”

“Still can’t believe that’s legal.”

The two of them settled again. Jack took in a deep breath and looked at the clock. He still had an hour before he had to go to work. One more week… that’s all he had left. All those memories, all that work, all those kids… everything was slipping away. Of course, life changed and evolved, but this. This felt wrong. It made him feel like the hottest shower couldn’t strip him from the grime of corporate greed. 

“But yeah, about that get-together,” he spoke. “I’m all for it. You think you can swing by and ask Wade and Molly if they want to come later today?”

“Of course,” Robin hummed. “We still need coffee creamer.”

Memories of Jack’s encounter with Felix and Marzia flooded into his mind. His car should be done soon. Jack downed the rest of his coffee before it got cold and walked back to his room. 

“Pick up some cream soda on your way too, would ya?”

Robin murmured an affirmative response. Jack readied himself for the day and sighed. His work didn’t start for a few more hours, but he was more anxious than ever to get there. He wanted to hold and cherish whatever last few memories he made as long as he could. His mind began to swirl in negativity again.

He knew he had to clear his head or he’d just keep going around in fucking circles.

Jack looked out the window at the still dark sky. He wished the light pollution would disappear so he could stare up at the sky. He needed calm. He needed to know everything was going to be okay. His hand reached over and wrapped a scarf around his neck. Some fresh air should do the trick.

“I’m heading out for a bit,” Jack mumbled as he walked past Robin. The latter wished him a good time. Jack closed the door behind him with a soft thunk. If he listened carefully, he could hear Ethan and Tyler talking in the room next door. He headed down the hall and descended the stairs. 

The cold wind greeted him at the front door. Jack pulled his scarf a little closer to his face. They were supposed to get snow that night. He should’ve been elated. He walked down the road in no particular direction. 

Cars were scarce at first but increased as the morning went on, all hustling by on their daily commutes. People huddled together in a bus shelter for warmth. Some passed him on the streets, all buried in their own worlds. None paid any attention to a bright-haired man walking past them. Jack very much wanted to just talk to a random stranger and try to work out his nerves; people often distracted him from draining thoughts.

Why didn’t he ask Robin to come with? Suddenly fresh air wasn’t so desired after all.

As he was walking down the road, he saw a familiar form sitting on a bench in a vacant bus shelter, only his head was mostly covered by a long scarf and hat. He scanned through his phone, his expression shifting from amused to concentrated. Jack stopped and observed him for a moment. Sensing eyes upon him, the man looked up at Jack with curious eyes.

“Hey, aren’t you the guy I met this morning?”

“Yeah,” Jack put his hands in his pocket. “Mark, right? You’re Tyler’s new-”

“Yeah,” Mark said with a low snuff. “I have a feeling not for long though.”

Jack’s eyebrows furrowed. “Well, that’s what happens when you don’t give anyone a break.”

“Yeah, I’m bad at that.” He clammed up and went back to his phone. His lips mouthed something, like he urged himself to continue, but instead clammed up. It intrigued Jack for some reason. He looked around before taking a seat next to Mark. 

“A workaholic?”

A snort. “Well, not really. Just over ambitious.”

Again, that awkward silence. Jack wondered if perhaps Mark wanted to be left alone. He didn’t get any bad vibes from the guy, despite his first impressions. It sucked him in like a twister. 

For a moment, he chose to sit in the silence of Mark’s company. It felt oddly comforting.

Well, at least it was comforting until he realized two girls were staring at them from across the street. 

Jack tried to ignore their stares. Mark seemed oblivious, choosing to bury himself back in the world of his phone. Oh, now they were coming over. Perhaps they wanted to stop here but were intimidated by two strange men wearing an obnoxious amount of winter clothes? Nah, they were whispering and giggling too much.

“Um, excuse me,” one of them said behind their sweatshirt. “Are you… Mark Fischbach?”

Mark looked up from his phone. Jack noted the goofy smile he wore at his front door return. 

“Depends on who’s asking.” His voice was full of energy.

The girls looked at each other and started laughing again. The one with short brown hair cleared her throat and kept whispering to be cool to the other.

“Well, it’s just… we’re such huge fans of your work!”

“Yeah,” the other chimed in. “I loved you in Asses and Angels.”

“How did you manage to go from friendly to intimidating in two seconds?”

Mark smiled. “It’s all in the art of bullshitting until you look like you know what you’re doing.”

The two girls started giggling.

“Can… can we get a selfie?”

“Sure.” Mark stood up and put his hands on the girls’ shoulders, making them squeal and giggle excitedly. Jack saw the phone’s screen. The girl’s smiles were almost as wide and goofy as Mark’s. There were two clicks before they lowered the phone.

The girls thanked Mark over and over, both telling him how amazing it was that they got to meet him. He kept a genuinely warm smile on his face the entire time. The girls soon said their goodbyes and traveled back down the road.

Mark sat back down next to Jack with a long exhale through his lips. He went back to scrolling, though this time his smile remained the whole time.

Jack had so many questions, but he didn’t want to intrude. 

Mark glanced out of the corner of his eye and lightly laughed. “I’m guessing you didn’t know you were sitting next to a movie star?”

“Well, I knew you looked familiar, but I thought it was just coincidence.”

Mark shook his head and continued what he was doing. Jack looked up at the sky, noting the clouds starting to cast over the sunrise. Was it supposed to snow? He looked down the road as a bus pulled in front of them.

Mark glanced over his phone and pushed it into his pocket. He stood up and straightened out his coat.

“Nice meeting you-”

“Jack.”

“Well, hey Jack. It’s nice to know your name finally.”

Jack smiled involuntarily. The bus opened its doors, and Mark stepped forward.

“Wait, Mark,” Jack jumped up from his seat. Mark turned. “I’m having a Christmas get together this Saturday. You wanna come?”

Mark blinked, probably thinking Jack was as insane as he felt.

“You normally invite random strangers to your house?”

“Well, it’s just… I’m inviting Ethan and Tyler, and I was wondering if you’d like to come along.” Or leave Tyler alone on Saturday… either or.

Mark looked back at the bus but didn’t board. He sighed before glancing back at Jack. “Maybe some other time. I’m meeting a friend Saturday night.”

“Oh.” Jack’s heart sunk for some reason. “That’s fine. Just a thought.”

“I appreciate it,” Mark said with a smile. He waved before boarding the bus, leaving Jack alone at the stop. Jack watched the bus drive off and caught Mark looking out the bus window as it drove away.

Why was someone like him taking public transportation anyway? He could probably afford any car he wanted.

A snowflake landed on the tip of Jack’s nose. He rubbed the cold spot away with a gloved hand. More and more started floating down from the sky. The wind pushed Jack’s scarf onto his cheek. He burrowed down inside it. Thank Wiishu he started wearing scarves more and more lately.

People started popping out of their homes and traveling to work. Some looked like they belonged in The Walking Dead while others cheerfully sung carols under their breath. 

Jack glanced down at his phone. He still had about an hour or so before work started. Perhaps he should go home and spend some time with Wiishu before going. Surely she was waking up by now. 

Jack began his trek back to his apartment, the image of Mark’s smile still burned into his memory.

\--

As Jack walked on his way home from work, he couldn’t help but think about what his future would hold for him. He should probably start job hunting, which would probably be harder after the Christmas season. His body shuddered. He rounded the corner to his house.

He froze as a limousine sat outside his hotel apartment. A man leaned up against the door and stared down anyone who came near the car. He wasn’t big or anything, but you could tell he meant business.

Jack walked up to the hotel apartment, offering a single “hey there” to the man leaning against the door. The man said nothing back. Jack swallowed and stepped inside the building. As he stood at the bottom of the stairs, he saw Mr. Keem coming down and shaking his head.

The apartment manager looked up at Jack and chuckled. “Wow, how did you get the Italian mafia after you?”

Jack’s blood froze. “E-excuse me?”

Mr. Keem chuckled. “Well you know, pretty Italian woman comes to a run-down apartment building looking for a “Jack” McLaughlin. There can’t be any other coincidence. Is that what happened to your precious little school? It’s being taken over by the mafia?”

Jack’s cheeks burned, and he passed Mr. Keem without another word. He rounded two corners before arriving on his floor. Through his door, he could hear Wiishu and another voice laughing. Jack swallowed before turning the handle. He peered inside.

Wiishu was sitting on the couch running a hand through her hair. She was speaking to Marzia, who was going on about some encounter she had with a stranger involving her makeup. Wiishu’s laugh echoed through the apartment like bells. 

Jack hung his coat up on the rack and took off his shoes. 

“But seriously, how do you make such natural looking wings?” Marzia asked.

“A lot of practice,” Wiishu replied. “You’d be surprised how many times one eye is just a little darker than the other.”

“Ha, then trying to fix it.”

“Hello trash panda.”

The two girls laughed again. Jack involuntarily smiled. Wiishu looked over the couch and sent Jack a friendly smile.

“Oh hey, Jack. Welcome home.”

Marzia turned. “Oh, just the person I wanted to talk to!”

Jack’s eyebrows knitted together, a lopsided smile pushing to the right of his face. “Well, I’m here.”

“Your car’s finished,” Marzia said and stood up. “If you want, you can come with me to pick it up, or I can just have it dropped off. Your choice.”

Jack looked over at Wiishu then back at Marzia. “I think… yeah, I don’t want you wasting all your time coming out to talk to me, so I guess I’ll go with.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.” She turned to Wiishu. “It was very nice to meet you.”

“You as well.” Wiishu sent a glance to Jack before kissing him on the cheek. “It’s only salad for supper tonight, so don’t hurry home.”

Jack hummed in agreement before giving her a light peck on the lips. “I’ll be back in an hour or so.”

Marzia walked over to the door as Jack put his shoes back on. She slid on her coat. Jack did the same and opened the door for her. Marzia thanked him before stepping out. He sent one last glance at Wiishu, who went back to whatever art piece she was working on, and followed Marzia down the hall. She practically floated down the stairs. Jack started to wonder if she was an angel in disguise.

As they got to the bottom floor, Mr. Keem stared at them from his office, a smug smile on his face. Jack chose to ignore him and his light taunts of how Jack was going to die. The door let the cold breeze in as they stepped out.

The man, who looked rather intimidating on Jack’s arrival, now sported a friendly smile. He opened the car door and acknowledged Mariza.

“Michael, this is Jack. We’re taking him over to pick up his car. Hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” He said and looked up at Jack. Jack smiled and nodded, and Michael closed Marzia’s door. He stepped to the other side of the limo and opened it for Jack to enter. 

Jack lowered his head and sat on what felt to be a feather cushion. The interior was made completely of beige leather. A cup holder sat between Marzia and him. Each window was tinted, and a window separated their cabin from the driver. 

Marzia sent him a light smile. “First time?”

“Uh,” Jack cleared his throat. “Yeah, kind of.”

She nodded and gave Michael the order to drive to Klein Auto. He nodded and started out on their journey. Marzia slid the window up between the cabin and front seat.

“So, how have you been? I’m sorry about your job,” Marzia spoke.

“Yeah, I… How did you-”

Marzia cleared her throat. “I mean, I know it’s not easy to lose your job this close to the holidays, but-”

“Marzia.” Jack watched her swallow thickly.

“I, uh, well Wiishu was talking about how you were a preschool teacher and…” Her smile dipped into a deep frown.

Jack paused. “Come to think of it, Felix only asked for my number. He was going to call once my car was done.”

“Jack.”

“Why did you show up at my house?” Jack’s tone changed. “And why bring that up? Did he have something to do with it?”

Marzia looked away and played with her fingers. “Well, there was this building that was for sale, and he thought it’d be the perfect place to set up an office, so he could stop working from home. He didn’t know it’s where you worked until he saw you in the classroom.”

“So he sent you to apologize?”

“No,” Marzia’s frown turned into a low scowl. “I came because I wanted to… and because he feels awful but doesn’t know how to apologize well. It always comes off that he’s brushing off the situation.”

Jack allowed a quiet wall to settle between them. His mind raced a mile a minute. On one hand, it wasn’t Felix’s fault the school was going under. On another, the school wasn’t being salvaged because someone was interested in it. He wasn’t sure what to feel.

“So,” Marzia continued or at least tried to. Jack looked up, and she was looking at her fingers, which twisted about as much as the knife in his gut. 

“You don’t need to apologize for him,” Jack spoke.

“I know, but it just doesn’t feel fair.”

“Life rarely is.”

Marzia chewed on her lip. "I guess... I've just been very fortunate. I never considered how hard the real world could be."

Jack turned to her and popped up a brow. Marzia took in a deep breath.

"I was born into a well-off family to begin with. Money was never a problem. I mean, my dad practically paid my whole way into art school."

"You're an artist?" He should've known with the way she talked to Wiishu.

"Sort of," she replied. "I'm a fashion designer. Well, and a makeup artist in my spare time."

"Like monster makeup?"

Marzia laughed and shook her head. "No, more like in a beauty salon type of way. I only work weekdays though, maybe for four hours. There are others who could use the work more than me."

Jack watched Marzia chew on her bottom lip. He smiled. "You're a good person, Marzia."

She lightly laughed and looked up. Jack noticed how her brown eyes twinkled with something like he just handed her... well... something other than money that made her smile. 

"I hope so," she replied and looked out the window. 

Jack watched her for a moment before looking out his own window. He thought about the party tomorrow night. It was a raging dick fest unless you counted Molly. No one really for Wiishu to hang with. With all her friends back in Denmark, adjusting here was rather lonely. Wiishu could probably use another person for some girl talk, and she and Marzia seemed to hit it off. Perhaps...

"Hey, Marzia, we're having a get-together tomorrow. Me, my roommates, and a few of our friends."

Marzia looked over at him, her eyes alight. "Are you... asking me to come?"

Jack chuckled. "Well yeah. If you want to-"

"I'd love to!" Marzia could barely contain her excitement. "I haven't been invited to a party... well other than ones Felix has hosted... in years. I mean, just me to go, as a... friend."

Jack couldn't help the smile that slid across his lips, even if it betrayed his thoughts. With that response, he wondered if Marzia was lonely. Felix sounded like he was always busy, and Marzia was so eager to invite him into her home. Perhaps they weren't as rich as he originally thought.

"Okay, well it starts around 7 or so."

"Do you want me to bring anything?"

"No, we've already got a bunch of snacks and stuff. We're planning on playing a few board games, maybe watch a movie. You know, just stuff normal people do on their weekends."

Marzia's smile softened. "It sounds simply wonderful."

The car pulled to a stop. Jack looked up at a neon sign reading "Klein's Auto" in blue letters. 

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now," he spoke. Michael opened his door.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow," Marzia called out. 

Jack smiled and nodded. He stepped away from the car. Michael closed his door, hopped in the driver's seat, and backed up. Marzia rolled down the window and called out a quick goodbye before disappearing down the road.

Butterflies fluttered in Jack's stomach. He got such a buzz off of making other people's day, whether they be young or old. If anything, his love for helping people would always be there. 

And nothing life threw at him would ever change that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a mandatory rest stop! Please grab a drink, eat some food, and rest your eyes. This story still has a long way to go <3
> 
> -Cat


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the night of the party! Everyone is settling down to have a good time, even the ones who weren't originally invited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so apologies for this being so late! I forgot to post this last Saturday. Now the question is, do you all want the next chapter tomorrow, or would you like to wait until next Saturday? I mean, by the end, you'll probably want a conclusion, but I'll leave that up to you guys.
> 
> Oh, and if you want some soft Christmas music to get you in the mood for this story, aka the piano music I've been listening to while writing it, you can find it here: https://open.spotify.com/user/mle022/playlist/1mRi5OWnPxENmMekqR4ztw
> 
> Have fun :D

Jack watched Wiishu adjust the snack table three times before he stood up and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Will you stop fussing? It looks great,” he said.

Wiishu sighed. “I know. I know. It’s not like I have to make a good impression, but-”

Jack kissed her temple. “No one is going to care if the cookies are too close to the cream soda.”

“I know,” Wiishu sighed, “I just want everything to look nice.”

Jack gave her a sideways hug and rubbed her shoulder. She leaned into him and put her head on his shoulder. 

The Christmas music playing on their computer, soft piano music put together in a rushed Spotify playlist, kept the air warm and light. The aroma of fresh baked cookies sweetened the kitchen and spread through the apartment. And even if Mr. Keem insisted on keeping the heat low to save on rent increases, the room was fairly warm from all the fresh baking. Even Wiishu didn’t have a blanket wrapped around her. 

Jack looked over at the window at the end of the hall. Light snow started falling. He hoped the snow wouldn’t deter anyone from coming. Wade and Molly came from the other side of town, and if they were going to get as much snow as the weatherman predicted, they wouldn’t be able to take public transport home. Of course, Robin already prepared to offer them his bed while he took the couch if that happened.

A knock at the door sent both their heads to the right. 

“I’ll get it,” Robin called out as he passed from his bedroom into the living room. He ran one more hand through his hair before opening the door. “Hey, long time no see!”

Oh good, Wade and Molly made it. Jack and Wiishu parted.

“Hey, welcome,” Jack greeted.

Wade looked over and said a casual greeting as he slid his coat off his shoulders. He helped Molly slide her coat off as well and hung it next to his. 

Molly walked over and gave Wiishu a tight hug. “It’s felt like ages since I’ve seen you. You need to stop by the store and say hello more often.”

“Sorry, I’ve been busy,” she said and looked over toward the living room.

“Oh, a new painting? I want to see!”

Wiishu lead Molly into the living room and showed her a half-painted canvas. Jack smiled as he watched the two girls leave. 

“How are you holding up, Jack?” Wade asked. 

“I’m alive,” he responded. “That’s all that matters at this point.”

Wade shook his head. “Well, you know, if you really need a job-”

“Wade, I know you and Molly can’t afford another worker.”

“But with how busy we’ve been lately, we could really use one.” Wade offered a kind smile. “Just consider it if things get too bad, okay?”

Jack couldn’t help but smile. “Still trying to repay me.”

“All day every day.”

Jack lightly laughed. “Thanks, Wade. I’ll keep it in mind.” He looked behind Wade and nearly dropped his jaw.

“Oh,” Wade spoke. “I hope you don’t mind. I invited a friend over. Jack, this is-”

“Mark. We’ve met before.” Jack couldn’t help but smile.

Mark wiped the bewildered look off his face and laughed. “So, the friend you were going to hang out with... was Jack?”

“What are the odds,” Jack responded. And even more impressive, what were the odds that Wade was friends with a movie star?

Molly’s voice broke the conversation. “Oh, Wish, I can’t wait to see when it’s all done.”

Wade looked over Jack’s shoulder. He walked into the living room to get a peek of what they were fawning over. After Wade whistled low, Jack decided he should probably join them. He turned to Mark, who was still hanging out in the doorway, and motioned for him to come in.

“You sure this is okay?”

“Please,” Jack responded. “The more the merrier. Besides, I did offer yesterday.”

“Yeah, I guess you did.”

“You really have a talent,” Wade said and put his hands on his hips. “If I could do that, you wouldn’t see me running a grocery store.”

“Hey, watch it,” Robin said with a playful mock hurt. “I need that store. Where else am I going to get my late night snacks?”

Wade and Molly both laughed. They’ve been dealing with Robin for quite some time, even longer than Jack and Wiishu. From what he told Jack, the were childhood friends. He told stories of how they used to hang out with other friends, one of them being Tyler, and just play video games in his living room. Most of his friends escaped life at Robin’s house.

“So, there’s snacks on the table,” Wiishu spoke. “We’re waiting on a few others, but there’s plenty of snacks so don’t worry about eating all of them.”

“Hey, might as well eat some before Ethan and Jack get ahold of the cookies,” Wade joked.

“Hey!” Jack’s voice held no malice. “Be nice.”

A low laugh shook him. He looked over at Mark, who had the most obnoxiously contagious laugh he’d ever heard. Jack couldn’t help but smile. 

The six got some snacks and sat in the living room. Wade, Molly, and Wiishu took the couch while Jack leaned against the coffee table, Mark leaned up against a couch arm, and Robin laid on the floor. Jack couldn’t help but notice Mark licked off all the flavoring of his chips before he ate it.

For a few minutes, all they did was relay things that happened at work. Everyone knew the topic in the back of their head, but this night wasn’t about drama. It was about having a good time.

Speaking of time, the door knocked. Robin hopped up from his spot on the floor and walked to the door.

“Do you just have him trained to greet people?” Molly asked.

“Well,” Wiishu replied as she swallowed her food. “We thought robbers might be intimidated if a police officer opens the door.”

“Robin couldn’t intimidate a rabbit,” Wade laughed.

“Hey,” Robin called from the door. “I’ll have you know I’ve intimidated plenty of rabbits… usually when I’m passing them in the park.”

“You bully,” Jack spoke with mock anger. Robin smiled and shook his head. He waited at the door and listened.

“Ethan, are you sure-”

“Shh, I know he’s waiting on the other side. Just let me do this.”

Robin squatted down on the floor. The conversation in the living room died and all attention was on the door. 

“What is he doing?” Mark asked. The five of them shushed him, and he shrunk back with a quiet sarcastic “sorry.”

A final click, and the door peeked open. Robin came face to face with Ethan, and the younger bean jumped back into Tyler’s legs.

“Well done,” Robin spoke.

Ethan stood straight up. Tyler sighed and put his hands on his hips while shaking his head.

“Robin, you’re supposed to protect people, not encourage them to practice breaking and entering.”

“Hey, you never know when you’d need that skill,” Robin replied. He stood straight up and straightened out his shirt.

Tyler held out a bowl of chips and Robin took it from him. He and Ethan both walked in and took their shoes off.

“Oh hey,” Ethan said, “are we late?”

“Nah,” Jack answered, “We’re still expecting someone from across town, but I don’t know if they’ll come in this weather.”

“Oh,” Ethan furrowed his brows. As far as he knew, they were the only friends Jack, Wiishu, and Robin had. Well, at least, in the general area.

Tyler took one look in the living room and stopped. He took in a deep breath. Jack looked between Tyler and Mark, who looked equally as nervous.

“Hey, Tyler,” Mark said from the living room.

“You can’t leave me alone for two minutes,” Tyler said and shook his head. He took a seat next to Mark.

Ethan looked between Tyler and Mark. He looked ready to ask something but instead chose to change the subject and ask for some cookies, took all the oatmeal ones when he was given permission, and sat between Robin and the couch.

“He’s got you working hard, huh?” Wade asked with a smirk.

Tyler rolled his eyes. “He doesn’t know how to sleep I swear.”

“Hey,” Mark replied, “I go to bed early.”

“Yeah, two am early,” Wade snickered. Mark sent him a look, and Wade looked around pretending someone else said it.

Molly chuckled. “Honestly, you three, I thought it was going to be a night we didn’t talk about work.”

Mark looked down at the floor sheepishly and shook his head.

“That’s all he thinks about,” Tyler replied. A light smile hid on his lips. “Always working to make himself better for other people. It’s been like that since we were nine.”

“Wait, hold up,” Jack said as he put the cookie entering his mouth back on his plate. “You’ve known Mark since he was nine?”

Mark smirked. “Yep. Since fourth grade.”

“Third.”

“Whatever.” Mark mocked Tyler’s answer and mumbled a bit under his breath. Tyler gave him a playful shove. “Yeah, if it wasn’t for Tyler, I wouldn’t have met Wade. And then my life would be totally different.”

Wade smiled sheepishly. “Oh come on, I’m just doing what any friend would.”

“No, no really,” Mark replied. “If it wasn’t for you-”

The door knocked.

Robin looked between all of them before hopping up once again. “Don’t start the story without me. I love storytime.” The party watched Robin jog over to the door and open it.

“Sorry I’m late. The snow’s getting a bit bad out there.”

Jack smiled. Oh, so Marzia did make it after all. He heard Marzia mumble something then give a light kiss, and raised an eyebrow.

“Robin, you getting fresh over there?”

“What? No. What did I do?” Robin asked and turned around. From the now clear shot, Jack saw Felix standing next to Marzia, one arm cradling her around the shoulders.

“Hey,” Felix spoke and gave a weak wave.

Jack stood up from his spot on the floor and walked over to the door. “Well, I didn’t think you’d grace us with your presence.”

Felix let out a light laugh. “Well, I just wanted to make sure Marzia made it up okay.”

“I asked him to,” Marzia replied and bit the side of her lip.

“Well,” Felix let his hand slide off Marzia’s shoulders. “I should probably start heading back before it gets too bad.”

“You know,” Jack interrupted. “We’re always open to new party members.”

Felix blinked and shook his head. “No, you don’t want me at your party.”

“Uh, I just asked.” Jack put his hands on his hips.

“Yeah, out of politeness.”

“Felix,” Marzia's tone was soft. “It would be nice if you stayed.”

Felix looked from Jack to Marzia. She offered him a light smile and a gentle squeeze on his hand. Felix sighed and looked at the floor. He then looked up with a smug smile.

“Sure, okay, I’ll stay.”

Jack stepped aside and let the two in. Robin looked over at Jack, and Jack sent a shrug his way. He explained the snack table quickly to the couple and returned to his seat on the floor.

“Felix?”

Felix turned around as Mark stood up. He walked over to the other and held out his hand.

“Wow, Mark, haven’t seen you in a while. How are you doing?”

“Well, actually. I’ve got two more parts come January.”

“That’s great to hear. See, I told you!”

Mark let go of his hand. “So, wait, how do you know Jack?” He grinned lopsided. “Is he one of your projects now?”

Felix’s smile faded a bit. “I don’t… really do that anymore, Mark.”

“Well why not?” Mark asked. His eyes widened and then he looked at the ground sheepishly. “Oh, right. Sorry.”

Jack looked between the two of them, realizing the air was stagnating a bit. 

“Hey, who’s your friend?” Wade called over to the group.

Jack silently thanked Wade. “This is Felix and Marzia. They’re the ones I returned the missing wallet to.”

“Oh,” Wade spoke. He looked over at Molly.

“You know,” Molly replied, “losing wallets must be a thing about our store. We had a couple come to the register asking if we found their wallet too the other day.” She laughed nervously. “Maybe it’s something about our store.”

Robin quirked an eyebrow at that. “Who?”

Molly's eyebrows furrowed. "Basil. June and Todd Basil."

"Oh, I know them!" Jack chirped. "Did they have a young boy with them?"

"Yes," Wade replied, "How?"

"They go to my center," Jack's voice lowered a bit. "There the ones with... you know... Sammy."

"Oh." A quiet and understanding hush set over the room, except for Felix and Marzia, who looked rather confused. 

Molly sighed. “No woman looked like she was in the middle of crying. Poor dear. I couldn't imagine...”

“Did they ever find it?” Wiishu asked.

Molly shook her head. “Wade and I searched the whole store.”

“Well let me know if they ever come back looking for it,” Robin said as he shuffled some cards between his hands. “Ooookay, well, who’s up for what’s going to be the longest game of Cards Against Humanity ever?”

\--

An hour into the party, things were starting to feel normal again. It was as if they were all old friends from long ago uniting for a good time. 

Molly currently showed off her engagement ring to Marzia and Wiishu. Wiishu, of course, had heard the story, but Marzia was equally as interested in hearing how it happened. It was one of Jack’s favorite love stories, honestly. And it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. 

Molly said she was equally as lost as he was, just looking to have a good time with some friends in a restaurant, when Wade made a rather loud, albeit drunk, comment about no one wanting to marry him. A friend, who Jack later found out was Mark, started yelling and holding up his friend’s hand, asking around who would marry him. It started off as a joke. Molly walked over and offered her hand. Wade was just as shocked as Mark, asking several times over and over if he was that drunk to imagine such a pretty girl sitting next to him. 

“And then you moved here,” Wiishu added, “To the coziest backward city you could ever live in.”

Molly and Marzia laughed. Molly replied, “Well, you do that when you find the right guy. You should know better than anyone, Wish.”

Wiishu nodded. Marzia looked over at her. “So, how long have you and Jack known each other?”

“Oh, about a year or so. I didn’t move over here until recently… maybe a month or two ago.” Wiishu sighed, “It’s been a bit lonely, but Robin and Jack keep it interesting enough.”

“Where are you originally from?” Marzia looked down sheepishly, “If you don’t mind me asking.”

Wiishu smiled. “Denmark.”

Marzia’s eyes lit up. “Oh! Another European. I’m originally from Italy.”

“A little bit of a shell shock moving here from Italy, huh?” Molly said with a giggle. “Especially in the wintertime.”

“It did get cold,” Marzia informed. “It never got snow, but we did get cold.” She turned her attention back to Wiishu. “So, how did you and Jack meet?”

“Through Robin, actually,” Wiishu said. “I knew him from art school back in the day. We were pretty good friends. He dropped out for private reasons. And then the next time I talked to him, he was moving over here to live with an aunt. We kept up online, often sending silly doodles to each other.”

“Sounds nice,” Marzia smiled, “to have a friend move away and still think of you.”

Molly and Wiishu both looked from Marzia to each other. Marzia played with her fingers a bit. “Oh, I’m sorry. Please continue.”

Wiishu looked ready to inquire but changed her mind mid breath. “We were skype video chatting, and Jack walked into Robin’s room. He was eager to meet one of his friends from back home, so he dropped over to say hi. He said how he liked my artwork, because Robin apparently kept sending him screenshots of the funny little doodles I did, and we started talking more and more. Not in that chat, because he said how he was being annoying and crashing the conversation, but… we started to really get feelings for each other over those 6 months of talking. And then, six months in, he flew over to see me.”

“Aww, that’s so sweet,” Marzia cooed.

Wiishu laughed. “If I thought he was charming online, I was not prepared for anything in real life. He didn’t speak a lick of Danish, so he called me up at the airport saying he was lost.”

“Not that he ever had a good sense of direction to begin with,” Molly muttered. She poked her head up to see if Jack heard her comment, but went back to talking to the girls.

“Did you ever think you’d leave Denmark?” Marzia asked.

Wiishu looked down at the ground. “No, actually. It was a shock to both my parents and my sister. They kept asking if I was sure I wanted to do this, and I was never more sure in my life. Jack… he’s special. He’s got such a large and caring heart, I couldn’t help but fall in love with him.”

“Sounds like my Felix,” Marzia said with a hum. 

“Oh yeah,” Molly said, “You said you were from Italy. Did you move over here to live with your hot American boyfriend too?” She laughed as Wiishu stuck out her tongue at her. 

“Well, sort of,” Marzia replied. “Felix originally came from Sweden.”

“Wow, both from across the pond,” Molly mused.

Marzia nodded. “Originally we planned to settle in Italy. Then, after Felix went bankrupt there, we moved here hoping for a better life. We had nothing, really.” A deep frown set over Marzia’s face.

Wiishu looked over at Molly and reached her hand over on Marzia’s. “You don’t have to tell us anything you don’t want to.”

Marzia sighed through her nose, a sad smile gracing her lips. “Thank you.” She paused before continuing. “If it wasn’t for this rich entrepreneur that saw potential in Felix’s work, who knows where we would be by now.”

“And what exactly does he do?” Molly asked.

“He runs a video game company. Back in the day, he used to make short little flash games, but now… have you ever heard of Brofist Entertainment?”

“Oh of course!” Molly said. “I play their online games all the time with Wade and a few friends.”

“That’s Felix,” she informed and chuckled. “At first, we didn’t know what to do with the money. We’d never been able to buy a pizza for the two of us, yet alone now fifty whenever we wanted. So, he started paying it forward, if you know what I mean. That’s how I was able to go to art school.”

“You’re an artist?” Wiishu’s eyes widened.

“Well, yes,” she replied. “I’m a fashion designer.”

“Wait,” Molly mused. “You’re the Marzia Bisognin? I’m planning on getting one of your dresses for my wedding.”

“Really?” Marzia’s eyes widened. She smiled sweetly. “Tell me when you want your appointment. I would like to see you in your dress, if that’s okay with you.”

“I’d be honored,” Molly replied. “I think my appointment is in three weeks or so.”

Marzia smirked. “That's not what I meant. Come by whenever you want. Ask for me personally.”

Molly’s eyes widened, “No, I couldn’t-”

“But I can.” Marzia chose her next words carefully. “I’ve been trying to pay it forward for years. Everything in my life came by luck.” 

Marzia looked over her shoulder at Felix, who swore loudly as Mark and Jack both laughed. After Felix gave Mark a shove, and Mark fell into Tyler, he tried to hide a genuine smile. Marzia couldn’t help but smile with him. 

“He’s been so lonely,” Marzia added. “It’s nice to see him laughing again.”

“And what about you?” Wiishu dared to ask. Marzia didn’t look up at her right away. “Being so far from home… I’m sorry, is that too personal? It’s just that… Jack said… when he invited you...”

Marzia blinked rapidly, and Wiishu immediately regretted her words. 

“I’ve just been really picky about who I’m friends with lately,” Marzia replied. “I’m not really into hanging with the rich, and some people… they…”

“You don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to,” Molly reassured her. Marzia looked back at her; her eyes were glossy. She tried to keep her smile and nodded. 

Molly couldn’t help but reach over to her. Marzia allowed Molly to hug her, even hugging back herself. As she closed her eyes, two tears slipped down her cheeks.

Wiishu felt her heart ache a bit. When she moved to America, she had Jack and Robin right away. And even through them, they both had friends that accepted her into their party like family. Who did Marzia have? Felix sounded so busy all the time the way Jack spoke of their brief interaction. 

“Marzia,” Wiishu spoke, “You come over here whenever you want. And if you’re ever feeling lonely, you give me a call.”

Marzia opened her eyes to look at her. She swallowed thickly, “Oh, I couldn’t-”

Molly pulled away from her, offering a kind smile. “Yes, really. And if you ever need someone to go shopping with, or casually sit in the living room and chat, or maybe just go for a walk in the park, you let us know. Our shop is closed every Monday.”

Marzia couldn't help but tear up again. Only, this time, the smile wouldn’t wash away from her lips. “Thank you, both, for everything. I couldn’t thank you enough.”

“That’s what friends do,” Wiishu said without hesitation. Marzia let out a broken laugh and sniffled. Molly reached over on the nightstand and pulled off a box of tissues. Marzia took care of her tears and blew her nose. 

“I’d like that,” Marzia replied.

\--

“You’re obviously cheating,” Tyler grumbled.

“Wha-” Mark sputtered. “I am not! Just because that one time-”

“It was cold, Mark!”

“You’re seriously not letting that go.”

Jack looked over at Wade, looking for some help to quell the bickering, but Wade merely sighed and shook his head. Ethan was sandwiched between the middle of them, shrinking away to try and disappear from the word battle being tossed on both sides of him.

Felix leaned in and whispered to Jack, “Are they always like this?”

“Oh yeah,” Jack replied, recalling the morning Mark showed up at his door earlier than anyone should. “They’re always loud and obnoxious.”

Mark and Tyler stopped to look at Jack.

“Oh hey,” Wade mused, “You both finally kissed and made up.”

“Oh shut up, Wade,” Mark grumbled. 

“Okay, one more card and Mark or Tyler win the game,” Robin said as he looked up at the clock. “We’ve been playing for nearly two hours now.”

“Huh, time flies,” Jack mused.

Wade stood up and looked out the window in the back hall. He sighed and shook his head. “Looks like there’s almost 6 inches out there.”

“Well, you’re welcome to stay the night, like I said before,” Jack replied. He looked over at Felix, who’s smirk turned into a deep grimace. Jack felt his heart pull a bit. “You could stay here too, if you’d like.”

“No, you’re already taking in so many people,” Felix spoke, barely above a whisper. “I couldn’t.”

“We could take Mark, Wade, and Molly in our room,” Ethan spoke up. He looked over at Tyler for approval, and Tyler nodded. “It’s no big deal.”

Felix looked around at everyone in the circle. He looked over at Marzia, who he saw having a good time for the first time in a while, and sighed. 

“I was going to give up my bed for Wade and Molly anyway,” Robin spoke. “I don’t mind giving it up to you and Marzia if you need it.”

Felix laughed lightly. “Well thanks. I appreciate it.”

“They’re just paying it forward,” Mark spoke. Felix seemed to tense at his words.

“What have I done recently that deserves them to pay it forward?” Felix grumbled. “I kicked Jack out of his job.”

A hush settled over the group. Jack looked over at Felix. The latter was looking at the floor and refused to make eye contact with anyone. Jack could feel all gaze on him, and he swallowed what was left in his mouth.

“Felix, I-” he started, but his voice trailed off. He had no idea what to say. He was angry, because he was losing a job he loved. He didn’t know what was going to happen after this. Would he even find another job as a preschool teacher? Most centers were hesitant to hire someone with bright green hair. He’d probably have to make it turn brown to get another job, which he wasn’t afraid of doing, but it felt like he’d lose a bit of himself in the process. 

Either way, he wasn’t too fond of the change, and Felix was leading the charge.

“It’s fine,” Felix answered at last. “I’d be pretty pissed at me too.”

The air grew thick and choked the air out of Jack. “Marzia said you didn’t know.”

“Honestly, I didn’t,” Felix replied rather quickly. He then took in a deep breath. “The ad said it was an old building that used to be a bunch of office spaces. I had no idea it was a low income preschool.” Felix muttered under his breath, “Yet alone that’s where you worked.”

“Well, it wasn’t wrong,” Jack replied. “It did used to be a bunch of rundown office spaces. But about two years ago my boss opened it as a preschool. I was one of the first people she hired.”

“Hey,” Mark spoke up. “You know, you could probably sponsor it. Then that way, they could stay open.”

“The papers are already signed,” Felix replied. “Plus, from what the paper said, there was lots of mold and unsafe structure in the building. Even if I didn’t take it over, they were going to be shut down for safety. I had to agree to get a crew in to fix up the place before anyone was allowed to move in.”

Jack blinked. That part he wasn’t aware of. 

“Well,” Wade looked down at his cards and then back up at Felix. “I guess that’s just the luck of the draw then.”

The corner of Tyler’s lips pulled into a side smirk. Ethan mumbled a drawn out “Waaaaade” before putting his head in his hands. 

Mark didn’t seem ready to drop the conversation. He opened his mouth to speak, but Robin interrupted. “Can we please finish the game? I have work at 6 tomorrow morning, and it’s already 10.”

“Yeah,” Wade answered, “And Molly and I have to be up tomorrow to open the shop at 9.”

“Okay,” Mark mumbled, forgetting all about what he was going to speak about. “Let’s just get this over with then.

The game continued, not long after their conversation, with Mark winning the game and Tyler slamming down his cards in defeat. The group put their cards back in their respective pile and finished up their snacks.

Molly hugged Wiishu and Marzia before joining up with Wade, Mark, Tyler, and Ethan. They said their quick goodbyes before going to the apartment next door. 

Robin walked into his room and gathered some things. “Everything’s ready for you two.” He spread a blanket and a pillow on the couch. “Whenever you’re ready, go ahead and make yourselves at home. I’ll see you in the morning maybe” He said a quick goodnight before turning over on his side and going to sleep.

Jack led Felix and Marzia into Robin's room. Marzia sat on the bed and tested it. Felix turned to Jack, a concerned expression on his face.

“You’re sure this is okay?”

“I’m positive,” Jack pushed Felix. “Now, if you need anything, we’re right across the hall. Coffee usually comes on at 5, so if you wake up early, feel free to grab a cup.”

“Thank you, Jack, for everything,” he replied.

Jack smiled. “See you in the morning, Felix.”

\--

Jack woke up to the smell of coffee. He sat up in bed, stretched, and got out his best without disturbing Wiishu. He froze as Wiishu rolled back into the middle of the bed and bundled up in the blankets. Jack smiled involuntarily and took in a deep breath.

He opened his bedroom door and was very shocked to find Felix standing at the island with a cup of coffee. What was he doing up so early? And how early was he up?

“You okay over there?”

Felix nearly jumped out of his skin. Jack put up his hands and Felix clutched his heart.

“Don’t you know it’s rude to scare a man in thought?” Felix said in a hushed whisper. 

Jack looked over at the couch. Robin was still sound asleep, his one arm folded over his eyes and lips parted in a silent snore. 

Jack poured himself a cup of coffee and took a seat next to Felix at the island. 

“Thanks for the coffee,” Felix whispered over to him.

“No problem,” Jack replied before taking a sip of his own. The two stared at the twinkling Christmas tree lights and enjoyed the silence.

“I want to thank you for last night,” Felix said. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen Marzia genuinely enjoying the company she’s with.”

“Yeah, well,” Jack spoke, “you’re both more than welcome to stop by whenever you want.”

“Thanks.” Felix shook his head. “It’s been so long since I was in a neighborhood like this, I forgot what it feels like.”

Jack rose an eyebrow. “To have friends?”

“To have reliable friends. You know, the kind that would bend over backwards just to make sure you had an ice cream cone on a hot day.”

“What’s the matter, your friends too cheap to do that for you?” Jack laughed, but realized Felix wasn’t laughing with him. “You… have friends, right?”

“Of course,” Felix said a little too loud and lowered his voice. “But a lot of them aren’t really the friendly type. And the rest of them, like Mark, I don’t get to see much. They’re off with their own lives. It’s been a while since one of them could go out of their way to make sure I was… you know… doing okay.”

Jack nodded his head. He looked at his black coffee and sighed. “Lonely, huh?”

“A bit, yeah.”

A comforting silence settled between them. Jack took in a deep breath.

“So, Mark said you took on projects. Does that mean like, gaming projects, or…”

Felix didn’t answer. He instead chose to stare down at the counter and swirl his spoon around in his coffee. Jack swallowed thickly. Why did he ask that? He didn’t even want to talk about it with Mark. What made him think Felix would-

“No, nothing like that,” Felix replied. Jack let out a heavy sigh of relief. 

“Well, don’t worry about it,” Jack replied. “I don’t need to know.”

Felix tapped the side of his cup. “It is… kind of a long, boring story.”

“I’ve got time,” Jack said with a half smile. 

Felix sighed through his nose. “You know, I haven’t really told anyone about what I do, and I prefer no one that I’ve helped spread my story. I don’t need the news twisting my life more than they already do.”

Jack furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you know how news articles like to poke at the rich and famous, telling stories that aren’t even true just to stir up some drama?”

Jack rolled his eyes. “I tend to avoid those.”

“Yeah, well you’re one of the few.” Felix sighed. “About a year ago, I-”

The two of them jumped as Robin’s phone went off. Jack furrowed a brow. That wasn’t Robin’s alarm.

Robin groaned and felt around for his phone on the coffee table. He sat up and ran a hand through his hair. His voice was still heavy with sleep, “Hello?”

Jack watched Robin’s eyes widen. He jumped off the couch and grabbed his clothes from the chair beside him. “Yeah, I’ll be in as soon as I can. Thanks, Phil.” He hung up his phone and walked into the bathroom.

The clock counted the seconds he was gone.

“What was that about?” Felix asked.

“Must’ve found something in a case he was working on,” Jack replied and took a sip of his coffee. “Happens sometimes.”

Robin emerged a few minutes later, and put on his cap. He turned to see Felix and Jack sitting at the island.

“Everything okay?” Jack asked.

Robin pursed his lips. “It’s about the break-in at Barnes and Lords in the other night. Someone tried again, only this time, they caught them.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, a second chance is all you need.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuses. I hope you enjoy the last bit :)
> 
> Also, warning, this chapter does mention some heavy subjects involving illness. It's nothing major, but it might make you upset. Read with caution.

Felix watched Jack tap his fingers on the coffee counter. He wasn’t sure what was so interesting about black coffee, but Jack was intent on finding out. Jack had his phone out next to him, waiting for any sort of news. Felix clicked his tongue.

“Maybe he’s dead.”

Jack’s eyes widened. “Don’t you even fucking dare-”

“Sorry, sorry,” Felix said with a nervous laugh. “Was just trying to make a joke. Guess it wasn’t too funny.”

Jack looked down and let out a light sigh. “Sorry, I just-”

“It’s fine. “Felix smiled and shook his head. “I should’ve known better.”

Jack forced a smile and continued to look at the counter. Usually, when Robin was done with the investigation, he called to let him know everything was okay. So many times he heard about police shootings, and he always hoped Robin's name would never show up.

As if someone was listening, the phone rang. Jack scrambled to pick it up, trying not to sound too nervous when he answered it. 

“Oh, you're still up?” Robin answered. 

Jack laughed sarcastically. “So what happened?”

“The neighbors called in some suspicious activity when they knew Wade and Molly were out. We snuck up this time and caught them red-handed.”

“How are Wade and Molly?”

“We haven’t called them yet as far as I know.” 

“And the suspect?”

“I’m going in to talk to Dan and Phil about it now.”

Jack ran a hand through his hair. “Okay. Let me know when you’re done.”

“Will do.”

Robin clicked the phone off. He crossed the police tape and looked around. The front door of Barnes n’ Lords was shattered, leaving a small opening at the base of the door. He wondered how anyone could fit through a hole that small.

“Robin,” a voice called to his left. 

Robin turned his head over to his left. A man waved him over rapidly as his partner pinched the bridge of his nose. 

Robin smiled. “Evening, Phil.” He walked over to the two of them and addressed the other, “Evening, Dan. You two on duty?”

“No, we’re getting lunch,” Dan muttered. “Nothing like squeezing in more hours before the holidays.”

“Well we are short staffed,” Phil replied. He side glanced over at Robin and cleared his throat. “Sorry if we were interrupting anything.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Robin replied. “I’d want to know about this. Have you called the owners yet?”

Phil shook his head. “Well…”

“You’re not going to believe this,” Dan added.

Robin quirked an eyebrow. “Try me.”

Phil rubbed his neck. “It’s not exactly…”

“The burglar in question,” Dan put his fingers up in quotes around those words, “is in the back of our squad car.”

Robin looked over to his left. He saw their car, lights still flashing on top, but didn’t see anyone inside. Robin looked over at Dan and Phil one last time before walking over to the window. From inside, he could see a shuddering blanket in the back. Whoever it was, they must’ve been bent over. 

Robin carefully opened the back door. The blanket stopped moving, save for a few sniffles he heard in the back.

“Please don’t tell,” he heard a low and childlike voice.

“Don’t tell what?” Robin asked. The ball of blankets shifted. Whoever was under them must’ve grabbed more of the blanket to wrap around them.

“Please don’t tell,” it repeated.

Phil and Dan came over to Robin’s side. He looked at them, trying to get more answers. 

Phil shrugged his shoulders. “We can’t even get a name out of the kid.”

“Kid?” Robin looked at the blankets again.

“Yeah,” Dan answered, “Poor thing must be lost.”

Phil scratched his head. “Molly does host a lot of children’s events. Maybe he thought it was a safe place?”

“Or was looking for food,” Dan added.

The blankets shifted again. A tiny head poked out, brown hair sticking up in all directions. Robin blinked. His memory recalled a picture with 15 students on it.

“Hey, are you Timothy Basil? You’re in Mr. Jack’s class, right?”

“You know Mr. Jack?” the boy asked and looked up, his brown eyes red with tears. He looked at Dan and Phil and shrunk back a bit. 

Robin shooed the two of them away with his hand. Dan and Phil looked at each other before walking away.

“I live with him,” Robin answered. “Can I sit inside the car with you? It’d be a lot warmer if we shut the door.

Timothy looked up at him, his eyes wary. After a moment, he shuffled over to his right and allowed a spot for Robin. The latter thanked him and slid in. He shut the car behind him, leaving the world’s noise outside.

“So,” Robin started and tapped his kneecaps.

“Please don’t tell mommy,” Timothy mumbled.

Robin sighed. “How about I ask what you were doing here in the first place?”

“I lost it.”

“Lost what?”

“Mommy and daddy’s wallet.”

Robin quirked an eyebrow. “Why did you have your mommy and daddy’s wallet?”

“I didn't mean to,” he replied. His voice lowered. “I just wanted her to be happy.”

“Who?”

Timothy didn’t seem to want to answer. He kept staring down at the base of the car.

Robin took in a deep breath. Obviously, this kid suffered something traumatic with the way he was reacting, and he had no idea how to even handle a normal child, let alone a troubled one. He thought for a moment before fishing his phone out of his pocket.

“Hey, I’m going to call Mr. Jack and let him know everything’s okay. He’s kind of worried about me,” Robin said.

Timothy stared as Robin tapped his home number and hit speaker. The phone rang twice before someone picked up.

“Hello?”

Timothy’s eyes brightened upon hearing Jack’s voice.

“Hey, buddy, it’s me.”

A sigh of relief. “Oh thank fuck. I was so worried-”

“Hey, Jack, I’m gonna have to stop you there. I have a kid next to me, and he can hear everything you’re saying.”

“Oh sh- is everything okay?”

“Well,” Robin looked over at Tim, “sort of. Nothing was stolen if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Did they catch the person who stole the wallet?”

“We think so, but,” Robin took in a deep breath, “it wasn’t anyone we expected.”

A long pause. “Well, what happened.”

“I don’t know. I was hoping you could help me a little.”

“Me?” A nervous laugh. “What could I do.”

“Well, this person of interest we have right now, he knows you, and you know him… very well.”

“The fu… I don’t really… what’s going on?”

Robin stayed silent. He looked over at Tim, who was staring at the phone. The boy’s lips drew into a tight line, and he swallowed thickly.

“Hello?” Jack’s voice called out, twice, each time more desperate for an answer.

“Hi Mr. Jack,” Timothy mumbled into the phone.

Either there was a lot of static or Jack took in a really sharp breath. 

“Who’s this?” Jack asked, his voice calm. 

Timothy looked up at Robin, who nodded encouragingly. Tim looked back at the phone before taking in another deep breath. “Tim.”

“Wha- Timmy Basil?”

Tim nodded and let out a choked sob.

“Okay, okay,” Jack’s voice was soft and warm. “It’s okay, Tim. Everything’s gonna be okay.”

“No, it’s not,” Tim cried. “Everyone keeps saying that! It’s never gets okay. It just don’t.”

Jack was quiet on the other side. Tim wrapped the blanket around him tighter and cried into it. He shied away from Robin, preferring to nestle up against the far door. 

“Tim,” Jack’s voice was still full of warmth. “I know life is hard right now. I know you’ve seen things no four-year-old kid should see. I know you’re scared. But let me tell you right now, just like I told you the last time I saw you. It’s going to be okay.”

“Everything is hard.” Timothy’s words changed pitch as he yelped through his tears. “I just want it to be okay again. I want everything to be okay again. I want Sammy back. I want to stay with you, Jack. But it’s stupid. Everything is stupid. I’m stupid.”

“You are not.” Jack sighed. “Tim, I want you to trust Mr. Robin, okay? He’s going to try and help you.”

“No,” Tim replied. “He’s going to tell on me.”

“Mr. Robin is a good friend of mine. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt you, Tim. You remember those funny cartoons I showed you with the block heads?” Jack waited a moment. “He made them.”

Tim looked up at Robin, who searched and found a smile. 

“That’s right,” Robin replied, “Hey wait, you show my animations in your class?”

“Of course,” Jack said with a light laugh. “They’re all so cute.” Robin’s cheeks tinged pink. 

“Mr. Jack,” Tim said. He looked ready to say something but didn’t. 

“Yeah, kiddo?” Jack asked.

“Don’t leave.” 

Jack swallowed thickly. “I…”

“Please don’t go.”

“Tim.”

“You can’t leave me too.”

A knock came from the window. Robin looked over to see Phil peeking in at him. He motioned for Robin to step out of the car. Robin looked over at Tim.

“I have to go now,” he said to both Tim and Jack. 

“N-no,” Tim grabbed onto Robin’s sleeve. He wouldn’t look into his eyes but instead stared down at the seat. He mumbled, “don’t go.”

Robin set his phone back down on the seat, “Okay, I’m going to leave this here. You can talk to Mr. Jack if you want. I have to go talk to my friends real quick.”

Timothy nodded and looked away. He let go of Robin’s sleeve and bundled himself up in the blankets again. 

Robin smiled before stepping out of the car. Dan and Phil, who both looked ready to turn to ice in the winter snow, looked at him expectantly. Robin relayed everything he knew about the kid thus far.

“Still, why would a kid be breaking and entering? Aren’t his parents watching him?”

Robin put his hands in his pocket. “Jack confides in me a lot about his students. Apparently, this family’s going through a really tough time. They’re younger daughter… Tim’s sister… she’s very sick right now.”

Phil took in a sharp breath while Dan cursed under his breath. “How old?”

“About four.” Robin shuddered.

“Alright, we’re going to file a report and take him to the precinct,” Phil spoke. Dan closed the report book he hand in his hand.

“Can I go with?” Robin asked. “The kid’s really shook right now. I think he could use a friend… plus my phone is still in the back of your car.”

Phil looked over at Dan, who shrugged in reply. The three of them walked back over to the car and drove away from the scene.

\--

Jack stayed on the phone with Tim until they arrived at the station. He reassured him several times Robin would take care of him, and that nothing bad was going to happen. He hated hanging up the phone, but he knew there was nothing else he could do.

Jack put his elbows on the table and palmed his eyes with his hands. For a moment, he forgot Felix was sitting beside him.

“Do I want to know?” Felix asked.

Jack dry laughed. “You remember that day you drove me to the hospital?” 

Felix nodded, then remembered Jack wasn’t looking at him. “How could I forget?”

“Well, I was going to see his sister.”

“You family?”

“Not really.” Jack put his head up and rested a cheek in his palm. “She was one of my brightest students. Or at least she was until she got really sick in March.”

Felix pursed his lips. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear the rest of the story, but curiosity got the better of him. “What happened?”

All Jack had to do was say one word. “Cancer.”

Felix cursed in Swedish and shook his head. “That’s rough.”

“You’re telling me.” Jack sighed. “She was such a sweet little girl too. She didn’t deserve any of this.”

“No kid ever does.”

“As far as I know, they caught it early enough that it’s curable. She’s been going through treatments.” Jack laughed. “She keeps calling herself Talia.”

“Like the YouTuber?” Felix smiled then glowered. “But she-”

“Shhh.”

“Okay, okay. Everyone needs a role model.”

A silence settled between the two of them. Felix looked around the room until his eyes settled on the refrigerator. Scribbles, half colored pictures, and written notes were stuck to it with magnets. Huh, he must have a niece or nephew that drew those.

Jack looked up at the clock. In about an hour, the hospital would be open. He got up from the island and walked over to a drawer. There, he pulled out a bag.

“I told her I’d give this to her for Christmas, but I left it in my car when it broke down. I only go over on Sundays, because usually, Saturdays are when I get my prep work done for the classroom.” He sighed. “But with the snow, I don’t know if I’ll get over in time. My car doesn’t handle that well in bad weather, and who knows how well the buses are running.”

“I’ll take you.”

Jack laughed. “No, I couldn’t ask-”

“I insist.” Felix smiled. “It’s the least I could do.”

Jack furrowed his brows. “Well okay then. I won’t argue.”

Jack changed out of his pajamas. He wrote a note for Wiishu and Marzia about what was going on. After all that was in check, he set it down next to the coffee table and followed Felix out the door.

As he descended the stairs, he heard Mr. Keem snicker.

“Well, well, I was wondering when you’d finally go broke,” he sneered.

Felix didn’t even turn to acknowledge him. He opened the door to the front of the building. Jack followed behind him.

He continued taunting, “That’s right. Just keep running like you run out of original ideas.”

Felix slammed the door behind them. Jack turned to see Felix grit his teeth. He passed Jack and practically ran down the stairs.

“You coming or not?” Felix growled.

Jack swallowed thickly and followed Felix out into the snow. Some families were already out taking care of the snow. Children laughed, built snowmen, and threw snowballs back and forth at each other. He could hear dogs barking in the distance, but other than that, the city was peacefully quiet.

Felix walked over to the parking lot, his car sticking out like a sore thumb against the other run down cars, and began to brush some snow off the door handle. He took out a brush and began wiping the snow off.

Jack badly wanted to break the silence, but Felix was quite content taking his anger out on the car in front of him.

After everything was clean and the two stepped in the car, Felix sped down the road, careful not to hit any of the kids playing in the streets, and toward the hospital. The radio was turned off, leaving the two of them stuck in a pregnant silence.

“So,” Jack started but the words died on his lips. He looked over at Felix, who was blinking rather rapidly. Felix took in a deep breath and swallowed thickly. Jack glanced down at the odometer. “You know, if we’re pulled over for speeding, I’m never going to hear the end of it.”

Felix slammed on the brakes. Jack cursed as he lurched forward and put a hand on the dash. Thank god he was wearing a seatbelt. He looked up at a now red light. 

Felix panted beside him. He ran a hand through his hair and covered his eyes with his hand.

“I’m sorry,” Felix spoke. “I’m sorry.”

“Dude, it’s okay,” Jack replied, his voice as calm as he could manage. “I’m not hurt. You’re not hurt… well, I don't think you’re hurt anyway. Are you hurt?”

Felix put his hand back on the steering wheel, and Jack noticed his cheeks sparkling in the red light.

“I’m so fucking sick of it.” Jack furrowed a brow but let Felix continue. “Why is that the only thing people remember about me?”

“Because people are poopy heads.”

Felix choked out a laugh. His smile faded into a strained upper lip. 

The light turned green, and Felix slowly pulled out into the intersection. He was driving calmer, but Jack could tell there was still a lot on his mind. He sunk back into his seat and stared out the windshield. This silence was killing him.

“You know, one time in like… seventh grade I think?” Jack paused. “I don’t know. It was sometime in school. Anyway, we were playing soccer and I got a nasty scratch on my eye.” Jack paused and ran a hand over his eyelid. “Dude was so apologetic. Made a huge gash and bled and everything. It was cool.”

He looked over, and Felix had a slight smile on his face. He used this as his cue to continue, “So it kind of got infected, and one of my friends started calling me “Jack septic eye” as like a joke, but the nickname kinda stuck. Now everyone I talk to back home is like “hey Jack septic eye is here” and I just roll with it. I didn’t ask for it. It just kinda happened on its own.”

“That’s cute,” Felix replied. He looked ready to say more but stopped.

Jack sighed through his nose. “Well, I didn’t like it at first, but I kind of grew into it, you know? I decided I wasn’t going to let it bother me. It’s something I couldn’t control, so I just owned it.”

Felix’s lips drew into a tight line. He turned into the hospital’s driveway and up toward the parking garage. As he slid into one of the parking spots, he stared ahead at the vacant space before him.

“I’ll wait here,” he said at last. “How long do you think you’ll be?”

“Maybe an hour or so?” Jack replied. He grabbed the bag from under his seat.

“Glad I brought my phone.”

Jack bit his lip. “You can go home, you know. I can just get public transportation back.”

Felix shook his head. “Really, Jack, it’s okay. I don’t mind.” He sent him a genuine smile, and Jack returned it. He stepped out of his car, repeating the motions from last week. 

“Oh, and thanks for the ride,” Jack said before shutting the door.

\--

Felix looked at the clock on his phone. Nearly two hours had passed, and he was starting to get nervous. He opened his car door and sat there for a moment. What if Jack was doing something super important? What if something went wrong? Was he okay?

He stepped out of the car door and into the garage. The elevator creaked as it came down to open up to him, and he stepped inside. Once in the lobby, he went to the front desk.

The receptionist looked up at him over her glasses. “Can I help you?”

Felix felt his forehead sweat. “Yeah,” he hoped he had the right name, “I’m here to see a Samantha Basil.”

The receptionist clicked on her keyboard. “Fifth floor, room 503. Just remember to be quiet on the floor.”

“Of course,” Felix replied. He walked down the hall and to the elevator. The ride was a lot quieter than the garage, almost chillingly quiet. 

The doors opened, and the sterile smell of chemicals assaulted his nose. Bright pastel colors lined the wall, and he could hear some kid’s show playing off to the side. Some kids colored while others played card games with what he assumed to be nurses. As he walked down the hall, he heard a rather familiar accented voice.

“So white rabbit said-”

A girl’s voice replied, “Why are we different colors?”

Felix peered inside the doorway. Jack sat on a chair pressed up against the bed. A girl pressed up to his side, and he had an arm slung around her. She rested her head on his chest and stared down at the story. “White Rabbit, Brown Rabbit” Felix read on the cover.

This must’ve been Samantha.

Jack continued, “I don’t know, said brown rabbit. All rabbits are different colors. Some are white, some are brown and some are gray.”

Samantha spoke, “But what matters is we’re best friends, right?”

Jack smiled. “Right.” He turned the page and said, “The end.”

“I love that story,” Samantha said. Jack smiled down at her. She sat back in her bed and grabbed another book from her nightstand. “I want to color for you.”

“I’d love that,” Jack replied.

Samantha pulled out the box of pencils Jack bought for her and set them on her lap. She flipped the pages and stopped.

“I have a green now,” she said, “So I can color in your hair. When I grow my hair back, I want it to be green too. Just like you, Mr. Jack.”

Jack laughed and ran a hand through his hair. She scribbled on the page then ripped it out of her book.

“It’s me and you,” she said as she pointed to the picture. “And there’s Timmy and Mommy and Daddy. And we’re all happy together.”

“It’s beautiful,” Jack commented.

“It’s for you,” she said and held it out to him.

Jack put a hand on his chest. “Thank you! I’ll hang it on my fridge.”

Oh, so that’s where the pictures came from.

The girl looked up at the doorway and put on a bright smile. “Are you my new doctor?”

Jack looked up. Felix pushed off the doorframe and shook his head.

“No, I’m one of Mr. Jack’s friends,” he said and sent Jack a light smile. Jack looked stunned, and Felix couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Me too,” Samantha answered. “Guess what?”

“What?”

“I’m finally better!”

Felix couldn’t help but smile. He looked over at Jack who nodded in confirmation. “That’s great.”

“I can finally go home to Timmy. Then I can eat all the chocolate I want.” She put her hands into fists and imitated an evil laugh. Both Felix and Jack couldn’t help but laugh with her. 

She continued, “Then Timmy won’t have to sneak in chocolate. I can eat all the chocolate I want.”

Jack swallowed thickly. “Mommy and Daddy don’t know Timmy brings you chocolate?”

“Well no,” Samantha answered. “The doctors say it’s bad. It can make me sicker. But I love it so much.”

“Where does he get the chocolate?” Jack asked.

Samantha shrugged. “He said he gets it himself.”

Jack and Felix glanced at each other. The puzzle pieces started to align. 

“Well, I should probably get going,” Jack said. He gave Samantha a quick hug.

“Mr. Jack,” Samantha said. “I wish I was coming back to your class.”

Jack took in a deep breath. “I know, kiddo. Maybe we’ll see each other soon.” She held onto Jack a little tighter and buried her head in his shirt. For what seemed to be an eternity, they sat there holding each other. Felix felt his heart break along with their embrace.

“Bye, Mr. Jack.” Samantha turned her head to Felix. “Bye Mr. Jack’s friend.”

Jack waved as he followed Felix out of the room. The two of them entered the elevator and stood in silence.

“She was cute,” Felix spoke.

Jack nodded. “I’m going to miss her. She always had such a positive attitude. I truly believe it’s what got her through all this.”

“Well, she’s got a great role model.”

Jack looked up at Felix, but all he did was stare ahead with a smile on his face. He quirked an eyebrow and stared at his reflection in the mirror. The door slid open, and the two of them returned to the car.

At least the ride home wasn’t as tense.

Jack stared out the window and enjoyed the winter sights. He didn’t get snow back in Ireland, or at least a lot of snow, but he did enjoy it.

“It was a bad deal,” Felix spoke.

Jack turned his head. “Sorry?”

Felix exhaled. “What I was so upset over.” He paused. “I trusted someone I shouldn’t have. They came to me with a business proposal. It was a special game they were working hard on, and they wanted me to help with it. Of course, I wanted to help, especially since the game hit really close to home. So I took them up on it, and within a year, we had a beautiful game. It was a hit.”

Jack swallowed hard. “Sounds nice.”

“That’s what I thought.” Felix snuffed. “About a month after the game was published, another game company accused me of stealing their idea. It was virtually the same. I tried to tell them it was an honest mistake, but they weren’t having it. A newspaper got ahold of their side of the story and mass printed it. “Big bad Brofist Inc steals game from lil town game company.” It was a nightmare.”

“But you didn’t,” Jack inhaled. “Did you?”

Felix sighed. “Of course not. I found out later the guy who gave me the idea worked for the company. By the time my story got out in the news, the damage was already done. People started sighting things in my games that were unoriginal and said I was stealing.” He swallowed thickly, “So many lawsuits. I lost so much sleep and so many hard-working employees… not because I treated them badly, but because they were afraid their jobs were at risk.”

“That’s horrible.”

“Yeah, well, that’s what happens when people only see you as a millionaire. You’re an easy target to tear down.” Felix scowled. “They don’t see how much you do for your employees, charities, strangers… they just want to tear you down to build themselves up.”

“Well, who needs them?” Jack asked.

Felix sighed. “I did.”

Jack quirked an eyebrow.

Felix continued, “They were a good friend of mine. When I first moved here, I had nothing. But I had them. I trusted them… and look where it got me.”

The apartment complex came into view. Felix parked outside of it and sat in his car for a bit. Jack opened his door.

“I’ll go get Marzia,” Jack replied. “You don’t have to go in and get humiliated again.”

Felix looked ready to argue, but Jack closed the door before he could. He went upstairs and told Marzia Felix was waiting for her. She said a quick goodbye to Wiishu and walked out with Jack. He opened the car door for her.

“Thank you, for such a wonderful evening,” Mariza spoke.

“No problem,” Jack replied. “I had a great time. Come by anytime you want.”

“Will do,” Marzia spoke. Jack was about to close the door-

“Hey Jack,” Felix called out. Jack stopped mid push. “I want to return the favor. I’m having a party this Friday at my house. Why don’t you and Wiishu come?” Jack opened his mouth to answer. “Don’t you dare say you don’t want to intrude.”

Jack laughed. “Wasn’t going to.” 

Felix smiled. “Okay, it’s a date then.”

Jack laughed as he closed the car door. Felix drove away from the sidewalk and off toward his home.

\--

Today was the last day.

Jack had a bunch of teary goodbyes, from both students and parents. They both thanked him for everything he did and giving their children the chance they deserved. He wished he could do more for all of them.

Timmy was the last one to leave that day. He stayed awful close to Jack’s side. The whole day, all he did was cling to his pants. Jack rolled with it and let him come wherever he did.

“I don’t want you to leave,” Tim said.

Jack could cry hearing Tim’s voice. “I know.”

His mom and dad came to pick him up three minutes before closing. Today was also they day Samantha came home.

“Mr. Jack!” she yelled as she passed her mom and dad. Jack got down on his knees and allowed the preschooler to crash into him. She gave him a tight hug. 

“It’s good to see you again,” he said. He looked up at her parents, who were both tearing up. Heck, he was tearing up. It was so long since he saw her without wires and full of life.

“Can I come to your house to play?”

Jack laughed. “You have to ask your parents if it’s okay,” he replied. Sammy looked up at them expectantly. “Maybe a night that they want to have an evening to themselves?”

“We couldn’t,” her mother started.

“Please,” Jack said as he stood up. “I insist. I love these two little goobers. You give me a call anytime you need me.”

“We don’t know how we’re ever going to repay you,” her father spoke. “You’ve done so much for us.”

“Just doing what any good person would do,” he recited. He looked down and noticed Tim trying to hold back tears. Jack kneeled down at his level. “I’m going to miss you too, Tim.”

Tim grabbed onto Jack’s neck. Jack felt hot tears and snot soaking his shirt, but he didn’t care. He held Timothy a little tighter.

“You promise not to steal any more wallets?” Jack asked.

Timothy nodded vigorously. 

Jack continued, “Good because I don’t want Mr. Robin to call me up again.”

“He won’t,” Timothy replied. He put on his coat and walked out of the room with his family.

Jack packed up the rest of his things in his backpack. He looked around his bare room, all art and decorations cleared. Nothing but empty tables, bulletin boards, and chairs. His eyes teared up. He wiped them away and stepped over to the door. Taking one last look at his classroom, he flipped the lights off and left his old life in the dark.

Of course, his boss thanked him for all his hard work. Jack did his best to not take the closing personally, but of course, he felt a sting in his heart. He couldn’t help it. 

But life sucked like that sometimes. 

He walked home in the bitter cold and kept his scarf close to him. Jack was so wrapped up in his personal life that he forgot he had a party to go to. Of course, he could just stay home and drown out his sorrows in ice cream, but maybe this party was what he needed to keep his life going.

And he did promise Felix.

When he got up to his apartment, Wiishu was already dressed in a beautiful black dress. Jack whistled and kissed her, earning a giggle from her. He got dressed up in a button up black shirt and slacks. Felix said it was a formal party, so he wanted to look his best.

Jack drove he and Wiishu to Felix’s house, remembering how to get there from Barnes n’ Lordes. There were several cars parked along the road of the house. Some cost more than Jack’s college career. He stepped out and offered Wiishu his arm to walk inside. She laughed and took it.

The doors opened, and a man smiled at them. Jack gave him his name when asked, and the man asked if they’d like him to take their coats. They stepped into the party room. 

A group of people chattered amongst themselves. Light Christmas music played in the background. A few laughs echoed through the crowd. From the clearing, Jack noticed Marzia talking to a familiar goof sipping on a glass of club soda. He looked at them and smiled.

“Well, fancy seeing you here,” Mark greeted. 

“Hey, I thought this was a party for sophisticated people,” Jack taunted.

Mark made a face. “I could say the same for you with your booger colored hair.”

“Hey, at least I can grow hair, especially on my face.”

“You mean that peach fuzz?”

Marzia rolled her eyes. “Hey, Wish, I have some ideas I want to run by you for my fashion line. Care to step off and let the boys choke each other with their testosterone?”

Wiishu looked up at Jack. He smiled and nodded her off. Wiishu gave him a kiss on the cheek before following Marzia into the living room.

“No, but seriously, I’m glad Felix invited you,” Mark said and put a hand on Jack’s shoulder.

“Yeah,” Jack looked around, “But you’re the only person I know.”

“Well then let me introduce you to people,” Mark said. He ignored Jack’s protests to stay anonymous. Mark called over a man in a white mask, and Jack froze. The mask’s blank expression stared back at him.

“Jack, this is Cry,” Mark said. “He’s the one that made all this possible.”

“Yeah,” Cry said from behind the mask. Jack didn’t know whether to ask about it or not, “well that’s mostly true. This is all part of his hard work. All he did was pick me up off the streets.” Cry held out a hand to shake Jack’s. “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Jack said and shook his hand.

“Cry-”

Jack saw a man with a scruffy beard approaching them. He had a woman at his side, and Jack instantly recognized her. 

“Hey, you run the reptile sanctuary,” Jack commented. “Ken and Mary Morrison, right? I was just there the other week.”

“That’s us,” Mary confirmed.

Ken turned his head to Cry. “Felix said he needs you upstairs. Something about a grand entrance.”

Cry shook his head. “Always so flashy.”

“Well, you do know he’s all about presentation,” Ken said. Cry excused himself and walked up the stairs at the end of the room.

Mark patted Jack’s back. “This is Jack. He’s the one who saved Felix’s butt about a week ago by returning his wallet.”

“Oh, so you’re Jack,” Mary spoke. “I have to thank you. One of those cards helped me pay off the money I owed on my land. Without it, we would’ve had to close.”

“Well, I’m glad to have helped,” Jack replied. 

“Hey, Mark,” a voice called behind them. Jack turned and met the most stunning eyes he’d ever seen.

Mark turned. “Oh hey, PJ, you made it!”

“Yeah,” he replied and laughed. “I wasn’t going to miss this one. It’s my 5 year anniversary.” 

“Congrats,” Mark said. He looked over at Jack and introduced him.

“Nice to meet you,” PJ said. “I’m-”

“PJ Liguori,” Jack answered. “You’re a model over in the UK, right?”

PJ laughed. “Yeah, that’s me. How did you know?”

“I used to wish I was you in the magazines a few years ago.”

PJ laughed. “Well, you can thank Felix for that. If he didn’t introduce me to Crabz Magazine, I wouldn’t be anywhere I am today.” He looked over his shoulder at a girl who was going off about something in the news. “Hey, Emma, you need some more salt over there?”

Emma stuck her finger up at him, and PJ laughed. She made her way over to them and looked at the three boys.

“At least I know enough to mind my own business.” PJ snorted. “Okay, mostly, but that guy is seriously a creep.”

“Yeah,” PJ agreed. He turned back to Jack. “This is Emma Blackery.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of some of your music,” Jack responded. “It helped me get through some pretty tough times.”

“Yeah, well, I came from some pretty rough times. If Felix didn’t fund my demo, I don’t think I’d be anywhere near a recording studio.”

Jack nodded his head. He was starting to notice a pattern.

“So, no one knows who the guest of honor is,” Emma spoke. “Anyone got a clue?”

PJ shrugged. “He didn’t tell me. And you know, he doesn’t do that anymore. He hasn’t done it for three years. The last thing he ever funded was MatPat’s library.”

“It’s a shame, really,” Emma mused. “He used to help out so many people. I mean, I know why he doesn’t anymore, but still. Honestly, fuck Wallie for how he ran Felix across.”

“I’ll raise a glass to that,” Mark mumbled and took a sip of his drink.

PJ looked over at a very confused Jack. “You know, these parties were something Felix did a long time ago. He’d get together all the people he helped and sponsor a new person at the end of the year. He called it his “projects” or something like that.”

“Yeah, that’s why I thought he had one,” Emma spoke, “but I don’t think he does.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Mark said as he sipped his drink.

A loud bang interrupted the party. At the top of the stairs, Felix held his arms out wide. Confetti started falling from the ceiling. 

“Welcome!” He yelled. The crowd began to clap and cheer. Jack did his best not to feel like he was at some sort of worshipping cult. Wiishu and Marzia soon found themselves at Jack’s side, and Wiishu gave Jack the biggest smile he’d ever seen. Wait, was she tearing up? He wanted to ask, but the noise in the room died down. 

Felix cleared his throat. “Well, a few of you probably know what this is about. Heck, I used to do these all the time. Some of you have already been my guests of honor.”

Jack watched Mark raise his glass to that. Jack creased his brow but didn’t ask any questions.

“Jack, would you come up here please?” 

All attention turned to him. Mark looked over at him, a wide grin on his face. PJ said a quick congratulation while Wiishu pushed him forward. Jack watched the crowd part for him. Honestly, he felt so silly. They all murmured amongst each other, some wishing him well wishes along the way.

Jack climbed the stairs. Felix stood at the top, his hands folded behind his back. Jack rose a brow as he stood on the last step. Felix put a hand on his shoulder.

“Jack, since I met you a week ago, you’ve shown me nothing but kindness. You reminded me of something I long forgot, that there is good in this world. You’ve done more for me than you’ll ever know, and more than I could ever repay you for.”

Jack opened his mouth several times to speak but found no words.

Felix laughed. “You know, I’ve watched the way you interacted with those kids. I know how important your job is to you. And I’m sorry your center is closing.”

He turned to him. Cry stepped out from behind one of the doors holding a rather large slip of paper. Jack stared at it intently and tried not to fall down the stairs as he read the words written on it.

“That’s why I want to partner with you to open your own preschool center. It can help families that need a place to put their kids, tuition-free, and give them a place to grow, feel safe, and learn. The only stipulation is we call it Second Chances Preschool Center.”

Jack choked on his tears. He didn’t know what to say. Felix’s eyes swelled with pride as Jack covered his mouth and read the amount on the paper.

Felix cleared his throat and continued, “Everyone deserves a second chance. I’m hoping you’ll let me get mine.”

Jack looked up at him and wrapped him in a hug. The crowd broke into a few awws, some taunts about grabbing a room, and applause. Felix returned the hug and patted Jack on the back. They broke off the hug, and Jack had to rub his eyes to see clearly again.

“Now, let’s really get this party started,” Felix called out.

\--

Jack walked the halls and took in the smell of fresh paint. The building was bigger than he could’ve ever imagined. He heard multiple kids yelling, laughing, and playing in their respective classrooms. 

He walked to the end of the hall and stepped into his classroom. Several kids piled into his legs and hugged him. He wouldn’t trade this feeling for the world.

Among them was little Samantha and Timothy, who asked if he’d read their favorite story, “White Rabbit, Brown Rabbit” for the umpteenth time. 

“Jack,” he heard a voice behind him. Jack turned and saw Felix walking down the hallway. He looked around and whistled. “Wow, that paint crew I ordered really did a great job.”

Jack laughed. “Well, Wiishu did always want to paint murals.”

“I really like this one,” Felix said as he walked over to the far wall. A green eyeball sat above swirled letters reading Jack Septic Eye’s Pupils, then had several little eyeballs underneath it with the kids’ names underneath.

“It fits,” Jack said with a shrug. 

“Yeah, well, just wanted to make sure you were settling in on your first day back.”

Jack beamed. “It’s more than I could’ve ever dreamed.”

“Good to hear.” Felix patted him on the back.

Jack watched Felix wave to the kids before stepping out of the room. He looked back at his future and couldn’t help but swell with pride. He always believed in second chances and the good in people, and it was nice to see the payoff. With Felix at his side, he was sure there would be many more people getting their second chance for years to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, here it is! I hope you enjoyed reading. May each and every one of you get the second chance you deserve!
> 
> -Cat


End file.
